Introduction

This is a bit of a long post. As such, I’ve broken it up into sections, to help me corral my thoughts, and make it more likely people will actually read what I’ve written before leaving comments.

Yes, that’s a hint. I’ve spent quite some time wrestling with these issues the past two days, and I’m interested in rebuttals as well as supporting arguments. I urge people to comment, but please read what I’ve written first, and please keep it civil.

So.

By now you’ve probably heard that the Pope is in trouble. A letter written and signed by him seems to indicate that he was complicit in, at the very least, holding up discussion on what to do with an Oakland priest who was a pedophile. That’s pretty awful, even more so when considering that it took him four years to get around to even writing this letter after he was informed of the trouble, and during that time the priest was still working with children. At worst, it looks very much like Ratzinger, at the time a Cardinal, may have actively stalled the Church’s actions against the priest.

Let me be as clear as I can here: if Pope Ratzinger in any way stalled or prevented an investigation, Church-based or otherwise, into any aspect of child molestation by priests, then he needs to be indicted and brought to trial; an international tribunal into all this is also necessary and should be demanded by every living human on the planet. Obviously, a very thorough and major investigation of the Catholic Church’s practices about this needs to be held. It is a rock solid fact that there are a lot of priests who have molested children, and it’s clear that the Church has engaged in diversionary tactics ever since this became public (like the abhorrent Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone who says homosexuality lies at the heart of this scandal).

The skeptic community has been up in arms about this, as one would expect, since organized religion is a major target of skeptical thinkers. There have been rumors and misinformation about all this, including a dumb article (one of Rupert Murdoch’s papers, natch) that said that Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins — both noted skeptics and atheists — were going to try to arrest the Pope if he visited England. This has been debunked by Dawkins himself.

But the idea of Dawkins swooping in to arrest the Pope got a lot of people fired up, notably in the skeptic community. A lot of folks have sounded off about what the skeptic community should do about this as individuals, as organized groups, and as a whole.

But the ideas being tossed around, to me, are a bit confused. The bottom line is, what role does the skeptic movement, such as it is, have in all this?

It depends on which part of this issue you mean. First there’s the Pope’s behavior. Then there’s the Church’s behavior, and then why the Church did the things it did. Finally, there’s the issue of the skeptics’ behavior.

Here are my thoughts.

1) The Pope

This is actually pretty cut and dried.

I agree in part with Rebecca Watson’s premise that the Pope needs to be called before justice. However, I do in fact care who does it and why; more on that below. But the important thing is that there is a fair trial and justice is served.

Basically, it seems that the Pope was putting the Church before the children, children who were being sexually molested. That is so abhorrent that words fail.

However, I don’t know if this is specifically a skeptical issue. It’s more a human issue, and a criminal issue. If the Pope had said that the Bible says it’s OK to molest children, then yeah, critical thinking and skepticism come into play. But if he was trying to protect the Church and was breaking laws (moral or civil) to do it, then see my comment above re: resignation and indictment. That’s something anyone should understand, whether or not they are a skeptic.

Skepticism deals with issues of the paranormal, issues with faith, issues where scientific evidence can be used to test a claim. In this case, I don’t see skeptics needing to be involved more than any other interest group.

2) The Church

This in many ways mirrors what I said about the Pope. As an institution, it was trying to protect itself, and sacrificed a lot of children’s lives to do it. If this is the case — and it seems very likely — then again the perpetrators need to be hauled in front of a tribunal, and, if found guilty, they get to find out first hand how child molesters are treated in prison.

3) The Church’s behavior

Here’s where things get interesting to me. In this country for sure, religion gets a free pass that a lot of other institutions don’t enjoy. They live tax free. They can say all manners of bizarre things, and people just blow it off, saying that personal beliefs are sacred. And religion can get all kinds of tangled up in politics, and again it gets a pass because it’s faith-based.

If the Catholic Church covers up, stalls investigations, moves priests around, and does other reprehensible acts to save itself, that’s one thing. But if it then says the Bible commands them to do it, or uses the religious authority people invest in it to let things slide, or says that the Pope is infallible and therefore what he did must be right, then yes, absolutely, 100%, skeptics need to jump in and cry “foul!”

But that raises the question: how should this be handled by skeptics?

4) The Skeptic Response

It is no stretch at all to say that skeptics in general and atheists in particular don’t enjoy a positive reputation outside of their respective groups. More people would rather see a gay President than an atheist one, and there are many polls that show atheists to be the least trusted demographic in the United States.

So skeptics are already at a disadvantage before they even open their mouths. Worse, a lot of Catholics are bound to be very uncomfortable right about now, and possibly more than a little defensive. Imagine that you’ve believed fervently in an institution all your life, and then you found out that it is rotten from within, even at the very highest level. You’d be disenfranchised, terribly distraught, and not, perhaps, in the best frame of mind.

This is the absolute worst position a person can be in if you’re trying to convince them of something. Clearly, tactics will be needed. A ham-fisted attack on religion and the Pope will probably not make you any friends, no matter how evil a deed they’ve done.

I have seen claims thrown around that it shouldn’t matter who leads the attack, because clearly moral religious people will rally behind you. That is monumentally naive. If skeptics and atheists jump in, that will be seen as an attack from the outside, when at the very best Catholics will want to see this handled by their own.

Put yourself in their shoes. Let me make up a scenario: imagine rock-solid evidence came up that Randi had embezzled the Million Dollars, and a few days later — after all the discussion and arguments and self-immolation that would occur on the blogs and fora and the media about it — Sylvia Browne said she would be leading the charge to see him brought to trial. Tell me honestly: would you rally behind her?

Honestly?

So charging in with guns blazing is not a good idea. In her post about this, Rebecca said that skeptics jumping in cannot hurt the movement. But I think they can, if this is not done carefully and with tact.

Specifically, she said:

So is this effort going to somehow hurt the “skeptical movement?” You may notice that I use the quotation marks here, because I can’t bring myself to seriously consider a movement supposedly based on the defense of rationality that would turn its back on children who are raped by men they trust because those men claim a supernatural being gives them power, wisdom, and the keys to eternal life with a direct line to God’s ear.

I want to parse her argument carefully here. To be clear, the question isn’t whether to act at all or not; I don’t think anyone is advocating sitting back and letting the Church and Pope get away with these horrid crimes. The question is, is this a skeptic issue in the first place?

The answer, to me, is: yes, it’s a skeptic issue if the Church uses a supernatural defense. Sure, it enjoys the power bestowed on it as a faith-based entity, and I have little doubt it was the corruption of that power that allowed the rape culture to exist. That is surely something for skeptics to take on. But we have to separate out arguments based on that versus secular criminal actions the Church has undertaken, and what the skeptics should do about it. And all the while the skeptics have to tread very carefully indeed if they don’t want to tick off the rest of the world.

As Rebecca points out, if the Church is relying on blind faith, acceptance of authority, and diversion of blame (like Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone did) then those are absolutely within the skeptic realm, and something we should be talking about.

And to my point about cooperation, I also agree with Rebecca that the religious people themselves need to step up, especially leaders in the Catholic movement, and condemn what the Church has done (her calling out Bill Donahue was especially wonderful). Of course Donahue never will; he has been so vicious and so antireality for so long that he will knee jerk against any bad mouthing of the Church. And he in fact has, attacking the New York Times and defending the Pope. Shocker, I know.

But that’s my point. People will not rally behind skeptics or atheists simply because they are doing the right thing. Quite the opposite. People will attack the skeptics. And even if there is iron-clad evidence of the Pope’s wrongdoings as well as the Church’s, Catholics will not just suddenly see the light and stand beside skeptics. We know this is true from endless studies of how people behave, how they change their minds, and how defensive they get when their core beliefs are attacked. See my point about Randi and Sylvia Browne again, and search your feelings carefully about it.

Skepticism’s role in this is very delicate and very important, so we must be mindful of how we do it. If not for our own reputation, then for our ultimate goal of getting everyone to understand the real issues here. That’s what skepticism is all about, but I sometimes think a lot of skeptics forget that big picture.

And there are most definitely ways of going about this that will deeply tarnish the reputation of skeptics. I don’t think PZ Myers’ comments, for example, are helpful. They may foment (some of) the troops, but no Catholic of any stripe seeing that statement will suddenly realize the folly of their ways. Quite the opposite I’d imagine, as I pointed out above.

How we say things matters. You can argue that Catholics all over the world should be rising up and taking action — and in fact should have been all along, years ago — and obviously a strong case can be made that the culture and nature of the priesthood in Catholicism enables child molestation. But inflammatory and hyperbolic rhetoric won’t help, and is in reality contrary to the cause.

I’ll note that there are some 75 million Catholics in the U.S., a huge number. They outweigh atheists (and skeptics) by a fair margin. Ticking them off, insulting them, saying “I told you so” is not going to help, and in fact will hurt in the longer run. I would think this is patently obvious.

Conclusion

The one thing skeptics pride themselves on is the use of rationality and reason when making a case, yet it seems to me that quite a few are letting their emotions and prejudices get the best of them. If you perceive Catholicism as the enemy, then so be it. But when faced with overwhelming numbers against you, sometimes a head-on assault isn’t the best idea. I’m angry over this, damned angry, and heartbroken over the lives destroyed by it. But anger is a place to start, something from which we can draw energy and motivation, but we must not let it take over.

We don’t always need warriors. Sometimes we need diplomats.

My point, after all this, isn’t too hard to grasp: if the Pope did what he has been alleged to do, then he needs to be brought to justice. The Church itself looks to have been complicit in hushing up this scandal for years, decades. They too need to face criminal justice. And as skeptics, we need to be vocal about the methods employed by the Church, where those methods can be analyzed using critical thinking and the arsenal skeptics employ. But just attacking them because they are a religion is the wrong reason to do it, and attacking them with abandon, with insults, and with vitriol will not help.

Those 75 million American Catholics should be outraged by all this. If you think skeptics and atheists can bring down the Church’s administration and authority by alienating that population — a quarter of the people in the U.S. — then you are not applying skeptical methods at all.

All of us need to be standing up to the horrors the Church has perpetrated, just as we would if any organization did such a thing. And where skepticism applies, we should apply it, but we should have a care when doing so. If the ultimate goal is to change the hearts and minds of people, then we need to be human and humane.

I would say that’s critical.

Ryanair’s much-maligned plan to charge passengers to use the toilet on their flights has been completely misunderstood, says the cheapy airline’s CEO. In fact, he says he’s willing to give all the money from the pay toilets to charity to prove his point.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary made his case this morning at a press conference in Brussels, saying that people are misunderstanding his reasoning for adding pay toilets. It’s not, he says, to make money from captive cross-legged customers, but “to change peoples’ behaviour,” and to squeeze in six more additional seats.

Sez Mr. O’Leary:

If I add six extra seats, all the fares come down across-the-board by four percent… Whatever money we make on the toilets, we’ll happily give it away to some charity for incontinent air-travelers.

However, the plan has hit a rather big speed bump, with jet maker Boeing unwilling to make room for extra seats.

O’Leary says Boeing is balking on the plan that would decrease bathrooms and increase seats because the additional passengers would take the planes over FAA safety limits.

And even though Ryanair doesn’t fly domestically, it would still need FAA approval to make these changes to the U.S.-manufactured Boeing jets.

One potentially scandalous scheme O’Leary has ditched — at least for the moment — is charging customers by body weight. “We have decided we are not going to charge people by weight because there’s no way of determining who’s overweight and who’s not,” he explained.

Ryanair Confident EU Will O.K. Toilet Fees [BusinessWeek]

The Tea Party movement is slowly starting to shift its focus to illegal immigration, an issue that’s beginning to see a lot of attention, with rallies during the next few days aimed at stopping amnesty. As New American Media reported in February, some Tea Partiers are quick to point out that immigration isn’t on the party’s platform. But the immigration issue is increasingly being picked up by individual activists in the group, and it’s becoming another aspect of the movement.

Tea Parties Against Amnesty announced in March that they would organize rallies across the country, April 15-17, to show their opposition to any proposed legislation for comprehensive immigration reform.

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), an anti-illegal immigration group, today made an announcement to supporters defending the Tea Party against accusations of racism and applauding the upcoming rallies.

A massive amount of new support is rushing into our operations. We have never seen this many new people sign up in our five year history. We want to give a special welcome to all of the new folks who have joined our email alert lists and taken interest of our Tea Party Against Amnesty events April 15-17…

Some of our diverse ALIPAC supporters are not fans of the Tea Party movement, however, they understand that 90% of Tea Party supporters oppose illegal immigration and amnesty with us. Most understand that we need broad coalitions to stop amnesty and reverse illegal immigration.

Some, unfortunately, are buying into the massive negative propaganda assault on the Tea Party movement. All we will say about that right now is that the Tea Party folks are not violent and not racist. They are being attacked in the same way our Border Security Movement has been attacked. They are being attacked because the powers that favor elite rule in America want to stop and divert the political revolution that is growing in America today.

If anyone reading this has any doubts about the Tea Party movement, you should stop listening to CNN and MSNBC and actually go to one of these events and talk with the people there to understand the realities vs. the propaganda.

ALIPAC is proud to stand with other Americans who share our cause of border security and enforcement of our immigration laws, and we will stand up against those who want to assault free speech and freedom of assembly for Americans.

There are currently 52 protest events posted on AgainstAmnesty.com, with 9,482 protest supporters signed up. The rallies will include some well-known Tea Party and anti-immigration speakers, including former Rep. Tom Tancredo, the outspoken founder and co-chairman of border security, anti-immigration PAC Team America; J.D. Hayworth, John McCain’s Republican opponent for U.S. senate; Arizona’s controversial sheriff, Joe Arpaio; and ALIPAC President William Gheen.

“Boxer” Brilliance
Arv Voss, Canadian Auto Press

Subaru’s Impreza family lineup for 2009 consisted of the Impreza 2.5i, Impreza WRX, Impreza WRX STI, and in the US, at least, the all-new Impreza 2.5GT. Ya, it’s ironic that the Japanese brand chose to launch the new 2.5GT on Vancouver Island, but won’t be bringing it north of the 49th for 2010 or the near future unless a press release is forthcoming, but such is life.

2010 Subaru Impreza 2.5GT

In Canada, therefore, horsepower continues to range from 170 (2.5i) on the low end to 305 horses on the high end (WRX STI). Also available is an Outback Sport version in five-door guise only. Minor styling freshening and additional amenities appear, along with a new grille in all models. Unlike the US, there’s no navigation system available, but Bluetooth audio, an iPod and USB connection comes as part of the MediaHub accessory kit.

The Impreza 2.5GT falls into the mid-range power wise, with a 224-horsepower version of the 2.5-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder “Boxer” engine. If you’re up on Impreza lore you’ll notice that this output is similar to the old WRX. The 2.5GT comes in two models: four-door and five-door. The GT combines the high-torque turbocharged, intercooled four banger with a standard four-speed SPORTSHIFT automatic transmission and Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.

Vehicle Dynamics Control and Brake Assist are now standard on all Impreza models.
The new GT model provides the Impreza Premium Package equipment, not available here, with a new power glass moonroof.

Other major standard features include 60/40 split fold down rear seatbacks; the All-Weather Package, including dual-mode heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors and windshield wiper de-icer (unique to the US as this all comes standard here); an AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer, 10 speakers, SRS Circle Surround system and auxiliary audio input jack; automatic climate control system; carpeted floor mats; cruise control; digital clock and outside temperature gauge, electroluminescent instrument panel gauges, engine immobilizer and fog lights; 24-hour roadside assistance for the limited warranty period is standard too.

Additional standard features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel with switches for cruise control and the audio system; power windows and door locks; pre-wiring for XM or SIRIUS Satellite Radio; remote keyless entry; rear seat center armrest; tilt and telescoping steering wheel; variable intermittent windshield wipers; and Vehicle Dynamics Control. Five-door models add a cargo area cover, light and tie-down hooks; clear tail light lenses; rear window wiper with washer; and rear gate spoiler.

The 2010 Impreza 2.5GT utilizes the new-generation Impreza platform (introduced in 2008), which is based on a longer wheelbase, resulting in improved roominess and ride quality. The new chassis improves crashworthiness too, while the increased stiffness and reworked rear suspension allows for crisper, more agile handling characteristics.

The GT strikes a seemingly happy medium between the base Impreza and the upgraded WRX, but more importantly outperforms many of its rival sport compacts at a lower price than what Subaru has been able to offer thus far. Both the 4-door sedan and the 5-door liftback styling display more modern, contemporary treatments in their design execution, with softer, more rounded corners and edges. The new GT’s grille was inspired by the grille found on the WRX STI, which translates into a much sportier overall image.

My longer-term test Subaru Impreza 2.5GT 4-door was sprayed a Dark Grey metallic, while the interior was done in a Charcoal cloth with Silver painted trim accents. The base price was set at $26,995 USD, while the final sticker came to $27,690 USD. To put thing into perspective, a 170-hp 5-door 2.5i Limited model starts at $27,595 in Canada while the 265-hp WRX Limited will set you back $36,395. If performance is more important than luxury features, you can even get a WRX at $33,395. That would probably put the 2.5GT at about $30k if offered in Canada.

I was afforded the opportunity to experience both the 2.5i and the 2.5GT Impreza models in on and off road driving experiences in a rallye scenario, which was done in specially prepped cars with professional instruction. Obviously the 2.5GT is superior with its higher horsepower and torque ratings. Acceleration in the GT model is certainly more than adequate, particularly with the SPORTSHIFT automatic providing smooth gear changes.

The ride quality is on the firm side, but not to the point of being objectionable. The interior is ergonomically friendly, even if somewhat spartan, and the handling characteristics reach a sporty level.

In terms of its appearance, the 2010 Impreza 2.5GT continues to hint at its sporting nature, beginning with the functional hood scoop. The lines are clean and the form is easy on the eyes, certainly more emotional and a far cry from the boxiness of yore – the WRX STI claims the “Best Looking” award in its new 5-door persona, although new for 2010 it can be had in four-door guise too. It also garners the performance title in the Impreza stable. The price gets the consumer a lot for their money in the 2.5GT, but for not too much more, the WRX wraps considerably more into the equation.

The question remains why Subaru Canada has not followed the US lead in incorporating the 2.5GT into its lineup, and it likely falls into the realm of a smaller market not being able to make a business case for such a niche vehicle. This type of thing happens all the time in Canada, although since harmonization of bumper codes we had hoped it would happen less often. Nevertheless, Subaru offers Canada a significant Impreza lineup.

Not only does it look retro-brilliant, but this Holga 120 can shoot 3D photos, thanks to its dual lenses. Each lens takes a photo, which are printed side-by-side and create a 3D effect when used with a slide viewer. More »

by David Roberts

“We don’t want to mix messages here. I’m all for protecting the Earth, but this is about energy independence.”

—Sen. Lindsey Graham, on why he, Kerry, and Lieberman won’t be releasing their long-awaited climate bill on Earth Day

Related Links:

Sens. Kerry and Graham to unveil climate bill next week

Sarah Palin recounts recent Mensa meeting

Al Gore wants Earth Day volunteer videos

Morgan Stanley is 80% certain that the yuan revaluation is going to happen.

In the short term, the currency is destined for a 2-3% appreciation against the dollar. After that, Morgan Stanley also predicts a further gradual appreciation throughout the rest of 2010, which will result is a year net appreciation of 4-5% against the U.S. dollar.

Big winners from this appreciation exist beyond U.S. exporters:

• Currencies that have followed similar paths to the yuan’s are now likely to also appreciate against the dollar, which will make U.S. exporters an even bigger winner than expected.

• Also, countries with currencies closely tied to commodities, such as Brazil and Russia, are likely to see price benefits from the move.

• If the country is a big exporter to China, like Brazil and South Africa, they are likely to see currency gains as a result of the revaluation.

• Mexico and its currency is likely to see a boost from China’s revaluation as well, because it will make its goods more competitive in the American market and its currency stronger as a result.

Morgan Stanley sees the possibility of three further scenarios at much lower levels:

• A 10% chance of a one time revaluation of 10 to 15% against the U.S. dollar

• A 10% chance that nothing happens, and China holds its currency steady

• The highly unlikely option of China moving to float its currency

Join the conversation about this story »

A few folks sent over Larry Downes excellent recent analysis of both Google’s moves in China and its lawsuit with Viacom over YouTube. He notes that the key similarity in both stories is how property rights don’t make much sense for information, and how using a traditional property analysis in both cases leaves you coming up short. Specifically, with China, he points to a lack of interest in a marketplace of ideas, and with Viacom the problem is that intent is never taken into account. That is, with traditional property analysis, “theft” is done to take something away from someone else for your own good. But in the case of people posting videos to YouTube, the opposite is the case. People are trying to better share Viacom content, to better promote it. As such, Downes wonders if there’s room for an “intent” mechanism in judging certain actions, with a question of whether the use is “productive” or “destructive”:

Both these cases highlight why traditional property ideas don’t fit well with information uses. What would work better? I present what I think is a more useful framework in the book, a view that is so far absent from the law of information. That framework would analyze information uses not under archaic laws of property but would rather weigh the use as being “productive” or “destructive” or both and determine if, on the whole, the net social value created by the use is positive. If so, it should not be treated as illegal, regardless of the law.

What do I mean? Since information can be used simultaneously by everyone and, after use, is still intact if not enhanced by the use, it’s really unhelpful to think about information being “stolen” or, in the censorship context, of being “dangerous.” Rather, the law should evaluate whether a use adds more value to information than it takes away. Information use that adds value (reviewing a movie) is productive and should be legal. A use that only takes value away (for example, identity theft and other forms of Internet fraud) is destructive and should be illegal. Uses that do both (copyright infringement in the service of promoting the underlying content) should be allowed if the net effect is positive.

Of course, there’s nothing really new about this framework. In fact, with copyright at least, it takes us back to the Constitution — which clearly set up copyright to “promote the progress of science and the useful arts” (science, really, when talking about copyright). And, thus, the founders intended for it to be judged on the standard of whether or not it “promoted the progress,” which meshes nicely with Downes’ “productive” use of information that “adds more value to information than it takes away.” Unfortunately, over the years, the definitions and regulations around copyright have been taken hostage by those who seek to use it as a pure monopoly right that only benefits them, rather than “promoting the progress.” The whole attempt to pretend it’s “property” is a result of those efforts. Hopefully using a more reasonable framework will bring us back to a more useful way of dealing with these issues.

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Hey all Sony followers, fans and just those who enjoy Sony quality and design. Sony is offering a very interesting and exciting opportunity to become a Sony blogger at SonyStyle and snatch a couple of amazing prizes (like Sony’s XPERIA X10, woot!?) as well as travel to South Africa to attend the FIFA 2010 World Cup ™ soccer games. Sounds like a fun opportunity for you? Here is what you need to do:

• You’ll want to tell us in 200 words or less why you should be the Sony Style X10 Blogger (deadline to apply is 11:59 PT on May 7, 2010)
• Ten (10) finalists will be selected to receive a Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 phone, PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game
• Beginning May 17, 2010 the ten (10) finalists will then duke it out by blogging for a week on topics such as Sony/Sony Ericsson, soccer and travel to South Africa

Not too bad, huh? Thanks Gina at SonyStyle for an amazing opportunity. Way to jump start a new beginning in a new Sony blog.

Check out more details here and don’t miss the opportunity. Read the fine print as well as it is only open for the US residents.

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Bentley, Luxury

Car buyers forking out a few hundred thousand dollars for a Bentley expect more than just a little luxury. And when the Bentley Mulsanne is unleashed upon the yacht and G5 owners of the world, the folks in Crewe, England know they need to come strong with otherworldly materials and craftsmanship.

A quick peek at the plush Mulsanne interior shows that Bentley designers and engineers have gone all out, but a few high resolution photos doesn’t tell the whole story. Bentley created a five minute video to explain some of the craftsmanship that goes into creating the Mulsanne interior by hand. For example, five people are in charge of inspecting and cutting all the leather that goes into the ultra luxury barge, and those cuts take three hours per vehicle. Hit the jump to watch the video, but only if you can live with the fact that you’ll most likely never even get the chance to sit in such an exquisitely executed interior.

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Video: Creating the interior of the Bentley Mulsanne an exercise in craftsmanship

Video: Creating the interior of the Bentley Mulsanne an exercise in craftsmanship originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smart grid startup Eka Systems hired Greentech Capital Advisors as its financial adviser in its acquisition yesterday by Cooper Industries for an undisclosed amount.

We caught up with Greentech Capital’s Craig Wellen, who worked on the Eka deal. He expects a healthy M&A deal flow this year in the cleantech sector as large industrial companies continue buying small, cash-hungry companies developing promising technologies, including smartgrid systems.

“[smartgrid and cleantech] companies with promising technologies can unlock more value by being part of a larger industrial,” he explains.

He mentions that Greentech is involved in another deal, in the U.S. solar space. Acquisition talks are ongoing and he expects a public announcement in the next few weeks, declining to provide further details.

No word on whether Cooper also hired an outside adviser. We’ve reached out to them and will post with any update.

Bentley is getting ready to put the new 2011 Mulsanne sedan into production and announced today that the craftsmen and women of its Crewe, England plant will create a unique and luxurious interior for the flagship sedan, setting new standards for the Bentley marque.

“While Bentley is long renowned for its handcrafted interiors, it was decided at the earliest stages of concept planning that even higher standards of quality and luxury would be required for the new Mulsanne, the company’s new flagship Grand Tourer,” Bentley said in a statement.

“Hundreds of cars were the subject of a painstaking review to define highly challenging targets for every facet of the new Mulsanne’s interior,” said Dirk van Braeckel, leader of Bentley’s design team. “This embraced key elements, such as materials, colour harmony and craftsmanship, ensuring the new Mulsanne will become the purest expression of Bentley design yet.”

Click here for more news on the Bentley Mulsanne.

Refresher: Power for the 2011 Bentley Mulsanne comes from a 6.75L twin-turbocharged V8 making 505-hp with a maximum torque of 752 lb-ft. Mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Mulsanne can go from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 184 mph. Prices start at $285,000.

Check out a video of the process involved with building the interior of the 2011 Bentley Mulsanne after the jump.

2011 Bentley Mulsanne:

2011 Bentley Mulsanne:

– By: Kap Shah

La Asociación de Examinadores de Tráfico de España (Asextra), pedirá mayor seguridad en su trabajo debido a la ola de agresiones de personas que resultan suspendidas en los exámenes para obtener el tan ansiado carnet.

Es por ello, que los examinadores se manifestarán frente a las jefaturas de Tráfico de cada provincia y en centros de exámenes desde el próximo jueves durante cinco minutos a partir de las 12.00 horas para pedir a la DGT que promueva un cambio legal para que los examinadores sean considerados autoridades públicas, como los médicos, y así poder defenderse demandando a sus atacantes por la vía penal.

En el último caso registrado de agresión, un examinador que había suspendido a una chica, recibió una paliza en manos de la misma alumna, su hermana y su novio.

Se dice que hay varias partes interesadas en suspender a la mayor cantidad de gente posible: Tráfico, los mismos examinadores y las autoescuelas. Al margen de ciertos intereses, una suspensión no justifica de ninguna manera una agresión que lleve al hospital al examinador.

Tal vez si se cometen injusticias en los exámenes, no sea culpa de los examinadores sino de los que están por encima de ellos. Por otro lado, ya se sabe que ciertos examinadores van de la mano de ciertas autoescuelas, algo que todos saben, menos los que tienen la autoridad para investigar el tema.

A pesar de todo, y me imagino que más de uno de nosotros ha sufrido en carne propia alguna injusticia en las lúgubres instalaciones de Tráfico, llegar hasta las agresiones creo que no es la manera.

Vía | Autopista

The folks over at Game Gripper have come up with an incredibly needed add-on for the Droid. This handy-dandy gadget slips over the Droid’s keyboard and does the work of pressing the keys for you, bringing the feel of a real controller to you anywhere you are. Not exactly a high-tech solution, but who needs that? Video of it in action after the break.  [GameGripper via Engadget]

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WASHINGTON (AP) – Fed survey: Economic recovery spreads to most parts of the country in the early spring.

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It’s a battle of the squeakers in this year’s last Sweet 16 match-up. In its first round duel with Delta, U.S. Airways won by a hairline margin of 75 votes. Meanwhile, in its war with LifeLock, perennial WCIA contender PayPal barely edged out the competition. Now the slates are clean for both companies to prove their lack of merit.

Which one of these companies deserves an after-school detention?

This is a post in our Worst Company In America 2010 series. The companies competing for this honor were chosen by you, the readers. Keep track of all the goings on at consumerist.com/tag/worst-company-in-america. Print the bracket, here.

If one thing is clear from Citizens Against Government Waste’s new Pig Book, it’s that Obama war on pork was a big clunker.

The non-partisan group counted $16.5 billion in congressional earmarks for FY2010.

Pork is down 10% from last year, but “it’s still above the historical average, and it’s still not at the level that President Obama promised when he took office, which is $7.8 billion,” said CAGW president Tom Schatz.

There’s still plenty of ridiculous, obnoxious pork.

Here’s the worst of this year’s Pig Book >

$50,000 for helicopter improvements at a small-town sheriff’s office

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porker: Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.)

From the Pig Book: $50,000 by House appropriator Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) for the Pulaski County Sheriff Department for helicopter improvements.

$98,257 for a shuttle from a congressman’s hometown to D.C.

Hidden in: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act

Porker: Rep. James Moran (D-Va.)

From the Pig Book: $98,257 by House appropriator James Moran (D-Va.) in SBA money for the Georgetown Metro Connection, a bus service that runs from Georgetown in Washington, D.C. to the neighborhood of Dupont Circle in D.C. and to Rosslyn, Virginia, conveniently located in Rep. Moran’s district.

$190,000 to digitize photos at the ritzy New York Historical Society

Hidden in: Legislative Branch Appropriations Act

Porkers: Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

From the Pig Book: $190,000 by Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) for digitization of the New York Historical Society Collection.  According to the group’s website, corporate sponsors of $30,000 or more are entitled to “Free admission to the Historical Society (includes special exhibitions) for all employees and up to 3 guests each and a 10% discount at the Historical Society gift shop; Fifty (50) free admission passes to the New York Historical Society for clients/guests (each pass good for up to 2 individuals) and includes all special exhibitions; Twenty five (25) complimentary tickets to Society evening public programs; Discounted tickets to the annual Strawberry Festival luncheon; Discounted tickets to the annual History Makers Gala Benefit; Two (2) invitations to a ‘Dinner with History’; these intimate dinners for 12-15 guests feature an eminent historian and New York Historical Society President Louise Mirrer; and Invitations to annual pre-Thanksgiving balloon inflation viewing event and reception; and a Listing in Annual Report and donor listing on website.”  Taxpayers receive historic deficits and debt.  At the end of 2006, the Society had a fund balance of $58 million; $190,000 represents .3 percent of that amount, or 6.1 corporate sponsors.

$200,000 for a tattoo removal program in California

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porker: Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.)

From the Pig Book: $200,000 by Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) for the Providence Holy Cross Foundation tattoo removal violence prevention program in Mission Hills.  In fiscal 2002 there was a $50,000 earmark for a tattoo removal program in San Luis Obispo, in the district of Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.).  It is now time for a pork removal program.

$238,000 to teach Alaska parents about No Child Left Bhind

Hidden in: Labor/HHS Appropriations Act

Porkers: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)

From the Pig Book: $238,000 by Senate appropriator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for the Alaska PTA in Anchorage to “train parents in their roles and responsibilities under the No Child Left Behind Act.”

$245,643 for an Arkansas truck driving school

Hidden in: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act

Porker: Rep. Marion Berry (D-Ark.)

From the Pig Book: $245,643 by House appropriator Marion Berry (D-Ark.) for the Arkansas Commercial Driver Training Institute at Arkansas State University-Newport, funded through the SBA.  According to a February 27, 2009 press release on Rep. Berry’s website, the Commercial Driver Training Institute “is a national leader in entry-level and enhanced commercial driver training for the over-the-road sector of the transportation industry.  Funds will be utilized to improve ASU-Newport’s Driver Skills Training Range.”

$254,000 grant for the Montana Sheep Institute

Baa, we love Steve Jobs. Baa.

Image: http://www.animalspapper.com/wallpaper/Sheep-1/

Hidden in: Agriculture Appropriations Bill

Porkers: Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.)

From the Pig Book: $254,000 by Senate appropriator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) for the Montana Sheep Institute. According to the organization’s website, “The Montana Sheep Institute (MSI) is a cooperative project between Montana Wool Growers Association and Montana State University. The MSI is dedicated to developing and implementing nontraditional adjustment strategies that will increase the competitiveness of Montana’s lamb and wool in the world market. Our goal is to explore opportunities to increase the utilization of sheep in weed management programs and improve the profitability and competitiveness of theMontana Sheep Industry.”  Since 2002, CAGWhas uncovered seven earmarks worth $3,033,950 for theMontana Sheep Institute. This is money b-a-a-a-a-a-a-dly spent. 

$300,000 to preserve the ‘final resting place for Hawaiian royalty’

Hidden in: Interior appropriations

Porker: Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)

From the Pig Book: $13,650,000 for nine projects by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including:  $7,000,000 for the James Campbell Wildlife Refuge; $750,000 for the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology; $500,000 for the Native Hawaiian culture and arts program; and $300,000 for the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ‘Ala), the final resting place for most of Hawaiian royalty.  According to several online resources, Mauna ‘Ala is the only place in Hawaii where the state flag flies alone without the U.S. flag.

$500,000 for a virtual space exhibition

Image: spacecenter.org

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porker: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas)

From the Pig Book: $500,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) for the Manned Space Flight Education Foundation in Houston to create “a virtual space community for students.”

$500,000 to maintain a WW1 statue… in France!

Image: www.worldwar1.com

Hidden in: Military Construction Appropriation

Porkers: Reps. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.)

From the Pig Book: $500,000 by Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) for the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-La-Coquette, France.  Established in 1930, the Lafayette Escadrille is a monument dedicated to the U.S. pilots who flew for France prior to America’s entry in World War I.

$900,000 for Obama’s notorious planetarium

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porkers: Reps. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.)

From the Pig Book: $900,000 by Reps. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.), and then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) for equipment for the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum in Chicago.  In a March 13, 2009 article in the Chicago Tribune jabs were exchanged in reference to the project when Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) referred to the project as an overhead projector.  According to the article, “The machine is actually a sophisticated $3 million to $5 million light-projection system that beams images of the stars, planets and galaxies onto the ceiling.  The museum wants to spend millions to update its original, 78-year-old domed Sky Theater auditorium, including replacement of the huge, 40-year-old Zeiss planetarium projection system, which is falling into disrepair.  The Zeiss machine is so old that the German manufacturer longer has employees who know how to fix it. … Most of the funding will come from private and corporate donations.”  The Adler Planetarium’s 2007 tax return showed a fund balance of $31 million; the $900,000 taxpayer “contribution” represents less than 3 percent of that amount.

$951,500 for “green” street lights in Detroit

Hidden in: Energy and Water Appropriations Act

Porkers: Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)

From the Pig Book: $951,500 by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and House appropriator Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.) for downtown Detroit energy efficient street lighting.  That’s the least of the city’s problems.

$1.2 million for an underwater exploration center

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porkers: Senators Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)

From the Pig Book: $1,200,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), for equipment for at the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Pell Library and Undersea Exploration Center.  According to the Providence Journal, URI broke ground on the Undersea Exploration Center in 2007 after the state’s voters approved a $14 million bond measure for the project (at least Rhode Island taxpayers got to vote on whether or not to give money to the Exploration Center).  The total cost of the Exploration Center was to be $15 million with the “remaining $1 million of the projected cost … secured through private donations.”  Apparently, “private” means “taxpayers.

$1.3 million to a museum dedicated to Pacific Northwest naval heritage

Hidden in: DOD Appropriations

Porker: Norm Dicks (D-Wash.)

From the Pig Book: $1,280,000 by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee member Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) for the Puget Sound Navy Museum in Bremerton, Washington.  Dedicated to “collecting, preserving, and interpreting the naval heritage of the Pacific Northwest for the benefit of the U.S. Navy and general public,” admission to the Puget Sound Navy Museum is free.  Rep. Dicks directed $1 million to the museum in fiscal year 2008.

$1.24 million for tree snake control in Guam

Hidden in: DOD Appropriations Act

Porkers: Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam)

From the Pig Book: $1,240,000 for two projects for Brown Tree Snakes control and interdiction in Guam by Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam).  Since 1996, 14 projects worth $14.6 million have been earmarked in Hawaii and Guam for interdiction of Brown Tree Snakes, which are still slithering through the appropriations bill.

$1.9 million for water taxi service at Pleasure Beach, CT

Hidden in: Transportation/Housing and Urban Development

Porker: Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.)

From the Pig Book: $1,900,000 by then-Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) for the Pleasure Beach water taxi service project.  In 1996, a fire destroyed a bridge providing access to the beach, near Bridgeport and Stratford.  Although patrons can still walk to the beach from Stratford or row to it from Bridgeport, some community activists say a water taxi is needed.  Stratford mayor James Miron doesn’t think so.  He told the Stratford Star there’s no support for the bridge and the local government’s priority should be Bridgeport schools.

$3 million for a project to distribute NASA images

Image: Smithsonian

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porkers: Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)

From the Pig Book: $3,000,000 by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) for the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to help make data received from NASA satellite images more accessible to the public.  Apparently the two senators have not heard of NASA TV.  According to the NASA website, “The NASA TV Public and Educational channels are ‘free-to-air,’ meaning your cable or satellite service provider can carry them at no cost.”  Interested viewers should contact their local cable or satellite service provider to get NASA TV, and ask the senators for a rebate of their share of that $3 million.

$3.8 million to save part of a baseball stadium from demolition… for the memories

Hidden in: Transportation/Housing and Urban Development

Porkers: Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)

From the Pig Book: $3,800,000 by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) for the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy for preservation and redevelopment of a public park and related business activities in the Corktown Neighborhood.  Michael LaFaive, a fiscal analyst with the free-market Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, summed up the project’s problems in a Detroit Free Press article on January 27, 2009:  “It’s not only irresponsible to redirect these precious resources to saving Tiger Stadium … it’s unfair to everyone with no voluntary connection to the stadium whatsoever.  And that comes in the form of people who don’t like baseball, people who don’t go to the city of Detroit, people who have no desire to see what remains of the old stadium because of this rescue.”

$4.2 million for a local weapons of mass destruction support team

Hidden in: DOD Appropriations Act

Porker: Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.)

From the Pig Book: $114,800,000 for 53 projects by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Young (R-Fla.), including:  $4,500,000 for comprehensive maritime domain awareness, $2,400,000 for the Air Warrior-Joint Service Vacuum Packed Life Raft, and four projects for $4,200,000 for a Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team in Florida.

$9.7 million to save Hawaiian sea turtles, monk seals, and crustaceans

Hidden in: Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act

Porker: Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)

From the Pig Book: $32,950,000 for 17 projects by Senate CJS Appropriations Subcommittee member Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), including:  $7,100,000 for NOAA for the conservation and recovery of endangered Hawaiian sea turtle populations; $2,600,000 for NOAA for the conservation and recovery of the critically endangered monk seal population and conservation of Pacific crustaceans; $2,000,000 for the Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii for the promotion of astronomy in Hawaii; $1,750,000 for the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii to conduct systematic and reliable climatographic research of the Pacific region; $1,500,000 for NOAA to create and implement an integrated system-wide ocean science education program piloted in Hawaii’s schools; $1,250,000 for the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research at the University of Hawaii to conduct research on open ocean fisheries in the Pacific Ocean; and $700,000 for NOAA for the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative at the University of Hawaii to support monitoring and research activities on Hawaii’s coral reefs.

$15 million gift for Ireland

Image: AP

Hidden in: State and Foreign Operations Appropriations

Porkers: Massachusetts?

From the Pig Book: $15,000,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).  Established in 1986, IFI’s objectives are to “promote economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout Ireland.”  Projects funded by IFI in the past have included building a replica of the Jeanie Johnson (a Canadian ship that once ferried famine victims across the Atlantic), and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stores.  In his review of a glowing book about IFI released in January 2009, Sean Donlon stated, “While the fund will continue its work for the next couple of years it would be unreasonable to expect external support thereafter, especially in the current relatively stable political and security situation in Northern Ireland.”  CAGW has identified $264 million for this project since 1995.

$27 million for a Tennessee-based homeland security program (not supported by the DHS)

Hidden in: Homeland Security Appropriations Act

Porkers: Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

From the Pig Book: $27,000,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), then-Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) for the Southeast Region Research Initiative (SERRI) in Tennessee.  The SERRI website says it “is a ground breaking program managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for the US Department of Homeland Security to assist local, state and tribal leaders in developing the tools and methods required to anticipate and forestall terrorist events and to enhance disaster response.  SERRI combines science and technology with validated operational approaches to address regionally unique requirements and suggest regional solutions with potential national implications.”  DHS apparently does not believe SERRI is critical as there was no budget request for the program.

$27.8 million to build fitness centers at three military bases

Hidden in: Military Construction Appropriation

Porkers: Congressmen in Texas, South Carolina, and Mississippi

From the Pig Book: $27,820,000 for three projects funding fitness centers:  $11,580,000 by Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) for a fitness center at Naval Air Station Kingsville; $9,900,000 by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.) for a physical fitness center at Shaw Air Force Base; and $6,340,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Rep. Charles “Chip” Pickering (R-Miss.) for a fitness center at Meridian Naval Air Station.  The YMCA in Sumter, South Carolina, near Shaw Air Force Base charges $46.13 per month for an adult fitness membership, while an unlimited membership at Rec World in Meridian costs $50 per month.

$44.2 million to build chapels at six military bases

Hidden in: Military Construction Appropriation

Porkers: Congressmen in Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky

From the Pig Book: $44,230,000 for six projects funding chapels:  $17,500,000 by House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwards (D-Texas) and House Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member John Carter (R-Texas) for a chapel with an education center at Fort Hood; $11,600,000 by Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) for a chapel at Fort Bragg; $6,800,000 by then-Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.) for a chapel center at Fort Rucker; $4,200,000 by Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee member Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and then-Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) for Phase Two of a chapel complex at Fort Leavenworth; $3,500,000 by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) for a chapel complex at Fort Leonard Wood; and $630,000 by Senate appropriators Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Sens. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), House appropriator Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), and Reps. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) and Edward Whitfield (R-Ky.) for a chapel center in Fort Campbell.

$465 million for continued development of an obsolete fighter engine

Hidden in: DOD Appropriations

Porker: Unspecified

From the Pig Book: $465,000,000 for the continued development of the F-136 engine as an alternative engine in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.  The JSF is $55 billion over its budgeted cost, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  Congress has added funding for an additional engine in order to supposedly increase competition and flexibility for pilots.  However, according to a February 24, 2009 United Press International article, the money was allotted, “despite the fact that the winning engine had already prevailed in half a dozen public and private competitions and despite the fact that no other part of the plane would be competed once production commenced.”  CBS News reported on July 30, 2007 that the Air Force and two independent panels concluded that the second engine is “not necessary and not affordable” and that the professed savings from competition “will never be achieved.”  No wonder that all 435 representatives and 100 senators refused to be identified with this massive waste of tax dollars.

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