Category: News

Quick sketch made at school…

Columnist complaints are inevitable consequences

If Froma Harrop really wants to be rational about the health-care debate [“Let’s have a rational debate about the cost of health care,” Opinion, syndicated column, Nov. 26], she should start by investigating the concept of comprehensive health insurance.

Paying for routine medical services by insurance is one of the main causes of the outrageously high prices of the American health-care industry. Among all the laws and regulations that have driven up health-care costs, legislation promoting employer-provided comprehensive health insurance and Medicare have been among the worst offenders.

The ills that Harrop complains about are an inevitable consequence of any comprehensive insurance system, and can only be rectified by either rationing or, in the case of a government-run system such as Medicare, increased taxes or deficit financing.

— Richard Opheim, Kenmore

With Christmas and other holidays coming up, creating memory projects could be a fun project for your youngsters.  There are several ways they could do this.

• Keep a journal and record the various holidays activities that are occurring in the family and at school.
• Take pictures of the various crafts and activities and put these in a slide show on the computer.  So many youngsters are learning how to make slide shows for school projects.  So this could carry over at home
• Print off pictures and put them in an actual scrapbook.
• Make holiday collages with pictures from magazines and write about the holidays on this.  These could be lone collages or be compiled into a scrapbook.
• Find old Christmas cards saved in the family.  Put these in a scrapbook and write something about the memories these evoke.  My grandmother saved hristmas cards for years.  I’m trying to jot down notes about any of the people I know who sent these to her.

What holiday memory projects does your family do?

Post from: Blisstree

Holiday Memory Project for Tots

Every year, it seems that more and more of our family members and friends are embracing non-material gifts that are both thoughtful and green. Among these are gifts for good causes – things like meals for the elderly, gardens for schoolchildren, and water purifiers for underdeveloped communities. Are you looking to do the same? Here are 10 ways to make a difference this holiday…

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Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Earnings/Financials, Alfa Romeo

Take a look at the Fiat auto group. What division (barring Ferrari and Maserati) would you think holds the highest value for the company? If you thought Alfa Romeo, you’re on the same page as yours truly, but you’d be mistaken. Horribly mistaken, as it turns out: Alfa has lost Fiat hundreds of millions of euros every year. Its sales have declined sharply, and not just since the global economy collapsed: Alfa sold 203,000 units in the year 2000, but only 103,000 last year. That’s a heck of a drop-off.

In response, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has ordered a full re-evaluation of the marque, with two courses of action to potentially result. The first would see Alfa more closely integrating its future products with Chrysler platforms. The second would be to stop investing in the brand altogether, leaving the still-new MiTo and the brand-new Giulietta to carry its aging stablemates (including the 159, Brera, Spider and GT) for the foreseeable future.

Speaking with Automotive News Europe from Fiat’s headquarters in Turin, Marchionne reportedly said the new plan for Alfa will be revealed this coming February or March. Even if he chooses to keep Alfa alive with Auburn Hills synergy, though, Marchionne has nixed the notion of merging the brand with Dodge, noting that there’s a limit to how many times a brand can be reborn.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – subs. req’d | Image: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty]

Ruh-Roh: Marchionne reportedly puts Alfa Romeo under review originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009Dec2: Rainfall in India between 2009Oct1 and 2009Dec2 (IMD, 2009).

Reference: India Meteorological Department. 2009 http://www.imd.gov.in/section/hydro/dynamic/seasonal-rainfall.htm

Image Description: see case description. Image Location: India Meteorological Department http://www.imd.gov.in/section/hydro/dynamic/seasonal-rainfall.htm Image Permission: This work is copyrighted and unlicensed. However, it is believed that the use of this work to illustrate the subject in question, Where no free equivalent is available or could be created that would adequately give the same information, on Interlinked Challenges, hosted on servers in the United States by Michigan State University, qualifies as fair use under United States copyright law.

In a recent report, David Rosenberg put a price tag of $2600 on gold, citing central bank buying activity as the main driver. In an interview this evening on CNBC, he expanded on this view, urging investors to keep riding the big decade-long wave in precious metals.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Rosenberg: Gold Going To $2600 Thanks To China
• Rosenberg: Gold Will Take A Breather, Before Surging To $3,000
• David Rosenberg: Okay, Fine, The Jobs Numbers Are Getting Better

Famed author Arthur C. Clarke once explained that he never patented the the concept of geostationary communications satellites, which many say he invented, because a lawyer told him the concept was “too far-fetched to be taken seriously.” But what about things going in the other direction. If, in a book or a movie, you describe or display a technology that has already been patented, is it infringement? Most people would dismiss such a concept as flat-out ridiculous. But a company called Global Findability apparently disagrees. It has sued Summit Entertainment, the producers of the sci-fi film, Knowing, an apparently otherwise dreadful flick that includes — as a central plot point — an “encoded message [that] predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years.”

Yes, Global Findability is claiming that its patent on “Integrated information processing system for geospatial media” (Patent 7107286) was infringed by this fictional device. Eriq Gardner, at THREsq, sums it up nicely:

We’re familiar with patent troll lawsuits. We’re also aware that Hollywood is prone to allegations of idea theft. But what we seem to have here is a strange new genre-bending legal claim where one can infringe technology in fiction similar to the way one can defame a person in fiction.

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Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertible, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Signifying the end of what has been a long run, Volkswagen has introduced “Final Edition” models of the New Beetle coupe and convertible. Each will be limited to a run of just 1,500 units. Under the hood is VW’s familiar 2.5-liter inline-fine (rated at 150 horsepower) sending power to the front wheels through a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission – nothing new there. However, the German automaker has fitted a full sport suspension and unique 17-inch alloy wheels to each of the New Beetles to add a touch more driving excitement.

Cosmetically, the Final Edition models feature Aquarius Blue paint. The hardtop version breaks up the color with a black roof and integrated fog lights, while the convertible model has a two-tone Aquarius Blue/Campanella White paint scheme and a white top. Special badging is found on the front quarter panel and on the steering wheel. The hatchback version hits showrooms with a base MSRP of $20,240 and the convertible starts at $27,170. Press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading LA 2009: Volkswagen shows off “Final Edition” New Beetle models

LA 2009: Volkswagen shows off “Final Edition” New Beetle models originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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READ THIS – From The Man Behind The Paulson ABX Trade, Paolo Pellegrini, Comes The First Investor Letter And A 81% Return YTD – Submitted by Tyler Durden – Zero Hedge – has the report pay attn to pages 3 – 4 

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New Tax? – Taxing the Speculators – By PAUL KRUGMAN – Should we use taxes to deter financial speculation? Yes, say top British officials, who oversee the City of London, one of the world’s two great banking centers. Other European governments agree — and they’re right.  Unfortunately, United States officials — especially Timothy Geithner, the Treasury secretary — are dead set against the proposal. Let’s hope they reconsider: a financial transactions tax is an idea whose time has come. – NY Times Opinion

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Are You Prepared for Another Lost Decade? – Author: Martin J. Pring, Joe D. Turner, and Thomas J. Kopas – … In April 2003, Pring Turner Capital Group published an article … This piece laid out our case that the year 2000 was a secular or “long-term” peak for the U.S. stock market. … Our goal with the forecast in this report is to help you prepare for the next ten years. … Our opinion … suggests that investors should anticipate another “Lost Decade”.  As we will explain in more detail later in this report, 2009 could mark only the mid-point in this secular bear market.  … Allowing for a best-case scenario of 4 business contractions, this also suggests that we are barely halfway through the current cycle. … – Riskcenter.com

 

Interactive Map: Food Stamp Usage Across the Country – The number of food stamp recipients has climbed by about 10 million over the past two years, resulting in a program that now feeds 1 in 8 Americans and nearly 1 in 4 children – NY Times

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In-Geithner-We-Trust Bond Market Gets Lowest Yield – By Susanne Walker – Less than a week after deflecting calls for his resignation, Timothy Geithner sold bonds on behalf of U.S. taxpayers at the lowest yields on record in a show of confidence in the Treasury Secretary’s policies. – Bloomberg   – neither ZIRP nor consequences of rolling short term debt if rates rise is mentioned (BC)

Drain test – Fed to Conduct ‘Small Scale’ Triparty Reverse Repos – By Daniel Kruger and Christopher Wellisz – The Federal Reserve said it will test one of the tools for an eventual withdrawal of the central bank’s unprecedented monetary stimulus while stressing that the trials themselves don’t represent any change in policy.  – Bloomberg

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The right reform for the Fed – By Ben Bernanke – … I am concerned, however, that a number of the legislative proposals being circulated would significantly reduce the capacity of the Federal Reserve to perform its core functions.  … Now more than ever, America needs a strong, nonpolitical and independent central bank with the tools to promote financial stability and to help steer our economy to recovery without inflation. … –  Washington Post

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What (If Anything) Can Be Done With The GSEs? – BY PHIL HALL – The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) sponsored a seminar on Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C., entitled “Is it Possible to Reprivatize the U.S. Financial System?” – has quotes from a number of notable people – MortgageOrb

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PPIP Fuels Demand for Private-Label MBS: Smith Breeden – By DIANA GOLOBAY – … Appetite for private-label brought prices for some prime and Alt-A RMBS mortgages as much as $10-20 since the March lows, while some tranches in the ABX index — representing a range of subprime securities — rose more than 25% since March. … But non-agency RMBS is seeing little new production and heavy borrower defaults, indicating “non-agency RMBS securities are going away” for now, Smith Breeden said. … – HousingWire

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Rogers: Obama Will Fire Geithner – By: Julie Crawshaw – Money News at NewsMax

By Jane Wardell, AP
Cleveland.com

Google Inc. is allowing publishers of paid content to limit the number of free news articles accessed by people using its Internet search engine, a concession to an increasingly disgruntled media industry.

There has been mounting criticism of Google’s practices from media publishers — most notably News Corp. chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch — that argue the company is profiting from online news pages.

In an official blog entry posted late Tuesday, Josh Cohen, Google’s senior business product manager, said the company had updated its so-called First Click Free program so publishers can limit users to viewing no more than five articles a day without registering or subscribing.

Previously, each click from a user of Google’s search engine would be treated as free.

“If you’re a Google user, this means that you may start to see a registration page after you’ve clicked through to more than five articles on the website of a publisher using First Click Free in a day … while allowing publishers to focus on potential subscribers who are accessing a lot of their content on a regular basis,” Cohen said in the post.

Murdoch on Tuesday told a Washington D.C. conference that media companies should charge for content and stop news aggregators like Google from “feeding off the hard-earned efforts and investments of others.” . . READ FULL STORY

PC Magazine has a little demo of LG eXpo’s pico projector, showing off a trailer of Transformers 2 on a 10 ft screen.

They report it looked pretty good, which is impressive for such a small device. Unfortunately they also reveal the smartphone will only be available to business customers, which is a pity given the entertainment potential of a pico-projector.

This post was submitted by user.

Gingersnaps, whether you’re talking about the crisp cookies or the chewy variety, are a classic holiday cookie. Sweet, spicy and oh-so-flavorful, they’re a great addition to a holiday plate and go well with a cup of tea when the weather gets cold. The only thing they’re missing is some chocolate, so there are some chocoholics that pass up the gingersnaps and opt for ordinary chocolate chip cookies even around the holidays. This is an easy fix, though, so I made up some Chocolate Gingersnap Cookies to add to my holiday cookie rotation this year.

The cookies have cocoa powder in the dough and some chopped up chocolate chunks mixed in with the candied ginger that studs these cookies. This means that they really have a well balanced chocolate flavor to them. Fortunately, they are also just spicy enough that the gingersnap spices have no problem shining through in the finished cookie. The candied ginger actually goes a long way here, since every bite is gets a little extra kick of ginger flavor to it.

These have a chewy, moist center and a nice crisp exterior to them. They’re good warm from the oven, when the chocolate is still soft, and they will keep well for about two days. I like to use coarse sugar for rolling because it makes the “crust” just a little bit crunchier, but if you don’t have any regular sugar will work just as well.

(more…)

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Hyundai, South Korea

Not counting full-size trucks, the meat-and-potatoes of the American car market remains the mid-size family sedan. For the past two decades, the undisputed kings of this particular segment have been the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, especially since the Ford Taurus fell off its pedestal right around 1992. Many have tried to knock the two Japanese heavyweights (now figuratively and literally) off the hill – and almost as many have failed. And while those two titans have remained atop the sales charts, other family sedans have met with considerable success. Perhaps most notably, the Hyundai Sonata, an unassuming car that has found its way into 1.2 million homes.

With beaming grins and news of Hyundai being named the most fuel efficient brand in America, Hyundai’s brass took the wraps off their new-for-2011 Sonota. What strikes you instantly is the Sonata’s curvy, slightly-hefty, almost organic shape. Hyundai calls the design language “Fluidic Sculpture,” and while not quite as in-your-face as Mazda’s signature Nagare styling language, we have a feeling it might prove nearly as polarizing. That’s not to say the new Sonata is bad looking or ugly. But it is highly-stylized in a mid-size market that tends to reward the bland and middle-of-the-road.

But Fluidic Sculpture is what we’ve got – and not just on the Sonata. Hyundai’s North American President and CEO John Krafcik promises that this design language will define the brand moving forward. Not surprisingly, Fluidic Sculpture originated right here in Southern California in Hyundai’s Irvine design center. We really appreciate some of the finely wrought detailing, such as the grille, door handles, headlights and taillights (though those taillights appear to be lifted directly from the BMW 3 Series). We’re just a wee bit uncertain of how the new Sonata will play in Peoria.

As for the non-design aspects of the 2011 Sonata, the big news is under the hood. Gone is the 3.3-liter V6, or for that matter, any V6. Instead Hyundai is offering consumers a choice of three four-cylinder engines. The first is a 2.4-liter Gasoline Direct-Injection (GDI) motor called the Theta II good for 198 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. That much power from a 2.4-liter essentially puts the Sonata at the head of the four-cylinder class. But what about those pesky V6 cars? No problem, as Hyundai will launching a turbocharged version of the GDI Theta II. If direct-injection and turbocharging sounds a little EcoBoosty to you, well, it is. And that’s a very, very good thing.

But what about hybrids? There will be a hybrid version of the Theta II. Hyundai’s calling the technology Blue Drive,and it sounds pretty spiffy. Unlike other hybrids that use nickel hydride (or starting soon, lithium ion) batteries, the Hyundai system will use lithium polymer technology. According to Hyundai, lithium polymer leapfrogs lithium ion battery tech and within five years, the entire industry will switch to LP. Only Hyundai will be putting the tech on sale within the year. Big claims to be sure, but Hyundai’s been defying conventions and expectations for quite a while now. Look for the Alabama-built Sonata to start at less than $20,000 and go on sale this January. Official press release after the jump, Jonny-on-the-spot photos below.

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Jonny Lieberman / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading LA 2009: All-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata to come in regular, turbo and hybrid

LA 2009: All-new 2011 Hyundai Sonata to come in regular, turbo and hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Internet and television personality Alex Albrecht claimed to have insight on the price of Apple’s rumored tablet during the latest episode of Diggnation, which also featured actor John Hodgman from Apple’s “Get a Mac” commercials.

If you don’t have a pet stocking, there’s more good reason to start the tradition.

The ASPCA is selling some sweet velvet stockings for dogs or cats. Plus, they’re on sale for only $10.49 right now. I love that you can personalize these stockings with a photo of your pet.

Visit ASPCA’s Large Pet Stocking product page for more details.

If you want to celebrate your pet on your Christmas tree as well, check out the Pawprints ornament from the ASPCA. You can create a print of your pet’s paw without baking or mixing.

Recommended Stocking Stuffers for Pets:

• Pit’r Pat treats (or Yip Yap for dogs)
• ASPCA toy collection at Walmart (leashes and collars also available)
• Hurley Dog Bone or reclaimed cotton Dog Sweater from West Paw Design
• FurBuster De-Shedding Tool for Cats from Bamboo

And, for you, the Dyson DC31 Animal for cleaning pet hair from furniture, stairs or anywhere.

(Image via ASPCA online store)

Post from: Blisstree

Pet Stockings & Treats for Inside