In June I stayed in this hotel for 4 nights and 5 days. The hotel was very good, the rooms are very spacious, the staff very friendly, the pool is very big, unfortunatly I couldn’t take a swim in it because in my first full day of visit I fell down in the Medina of Marrakech and hurt my hand, I had to receive two stitches, so no swiws in the pool, facing 5 days of 40 degrees with a stitched hand isn’t easy, but the hotel has AC in all the rooms.
I liked this Marrakech trip, the city and surroundings reminded me of Tunisia, but in Tunisia the food was a lot better, traditional morrocon food doesn’t suite me, in the Tunisian Hotel they served tipical european food while in the Kenzi Farah it was all moroccon. In the first day I visited Djemaa-El-Fna, in the second day we visited Essaouira, in the last full day we visited Chez Ali. This trip was an offer from my insurance company.
Lack of central oversight, construction add-ons blamed for the cost skyrocketing to $106-million
Kelly Grant
City Hall Bureau Chief From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail Published on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 12:13AM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 4:20AM EST
The price tag of the new St. Clair streetcar line nearly doubled because nobody was in charge as the project’s scope ballooned, public consultation ran amok and more than 20 small contractors tripped over each other.
That’s the conclusion of a new study to be presented tomorrow to the TTC’s board, which is trying to learn from its mistakes as it embarks on a 120-kilometre light-rail expansion modelled on St. Clair’s exclusive right-of-way.
It’s no secret this thing was not the city and the TTC’s finest hour in the eyes of the public, said Richard Soberman, co-author of the report and former chairman of the University of Toronto’s department of civil engineering.
When city council approved the 6.8-kilometre St. Clair line in September, 2004, it predicted the project would cost $48-million.
The figure was revised to $65-million before construction began.
Now, six years later, the final cost is expected to be $106-million and the last 300 metres of the line won’t open until June.
Dr. Soberman and co-author Les Kelman found the city and TTC failed to co-ordinate because there was no clear boss.
Various elements of the project were neither centralized nor controlled by any single entity, the report says.
The study also criticized the TTC for letting public consultations drag on indefinitely and for allowing scope creep.
Once shovels were in the ground, transit upgrades and unrelated jobs such as burying hydro lines piled up, increasing the costs and the construction headaches.
Those headaches linger for some business owners on St. Clair West.
Although construction is finished and streetcars are rolling from Yonge Street to Lansdowne Avenue, shoppers haven’t returned, said the executive director of the Corso Italia Business Improvement Area.
It’s done nothing. It’s been of little value to the businesses and little value to the residents, Jeff Gillan said. His wife owns Carmen’s Designs, a children’s clothing shop and one of approximately 250 businesses between Dufferin Street and Lansdowne.
To avoid laying off staff, she hasn’t taken a paycheque in three months, Mr. Gillan said.
Don’s Meats, located on the unfinished stretch of the streetcar route west of Lansdowne, hasn’t suffered as much as some of its neighbours.
That’s because construction crews ripped up the road outside the shop in small chunks rather than several blocks at a time, mitigating the traffic jams that paralyzed other sections of the St. Clair line, said Don Panos, who has owned a wholesale and retail meat shop in the area for 26 years.
The TTC should apply that construction lesson to its new light-rail routes, Mr. Panos said.
The transit authority also needs to avoid dividing the community, as happened on St. Clair. They [the TTC and the city] were adamant and forced their will on the people, Mr. Panos said.
The councillor who championed St. Clair’s exclusive right-of-way said many of the problems identified in the report have already been remedied for the first Transit City lines to be built on Eglinton, Sheppard and Finch avenues.
You need to know where the buck stops, said Joe Mihevc, a TTC commissioner whose Ward 21 includes most of St. Clair West. On Eglinton, Sheppard and Finch, it’s the TTC that will be in charge. It’s their puppy.
The TTC is already looking to replace the mishmash of small contractors that built St. Clair with larger contractors capable of co-ordinating sprawling projects. Teams of communications staff will keep people abreast of Transit City developments; one employee with 16 other projects on his watch handled communications for the St. Clair line, Mr. Mihevc said.
So far, Mark Bozian is cautiously optimistic about the 15-kilometre light-rail line outside his Toyota dealership on Sheppard Avenue East, where he chairs the business improvement area. Pre-construction broke ground last month.
We want it to be done in a consensual, prudent, businesslike fashion, Mr. Bozian said. If they don’t, we’ll end up with the same nightmare as St. Clair.
Off the Rails
The St. Clair Avenue West streetcar line leapt in cost from its conception to its completion over half a decade. Here is a list of key numbers relating to the project:
* $48-million initial cost estimate, September 2004
* $65-million updated cost estimate
* $106-million estimated final cost
* 5 the number of years to complete, assuming the full line opens by June 2010
* 20 the minimum number of small construction contracts awarded for projects relating to the line
* 8 the number of months a judicial review delayed the project
Source: Getting it Right: Lessons from the Implementation of the St. Clair Streetcar for the Implementation of Transit City.
Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld, speaking soon after brokering a deal to buy British confectioner Cadbury PLC (CBY), said that she’s confident the acquisition will close successfully and that the newly structured deal no longer requires a vote of approval from her own shareholders.
Kraft on Tuesday announced a sweetened deal for the British confectioner with a new structure including less stock and more cash.
The fact that Kraft is using less stock and no longer requires a vote from its shareholders is significant. Earlier this month, Kraft’s largest shareholder, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKA, BRKB), said it would vote against the issuance of new stock. Kraft now no longer requires Berkshire to change its vote.
To be sure, while Buffett has not spoken publicly, he could be less critical of the new terms since it involves the issuance of fewer Kraft shares, which he had suggested were undervalued. A Berkshire Hathaway spokeswoman said Buffett was not available for comment.
In the interview, Rosenfeld said her company doesn’t need its investors to sign off on the deal because less stock was being issued. The Kraft shareholder vote no longer is required under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange since new stock being issued is less than 20% of shares outstanding.
Rosenfeld declined to comment directly on Buffett’s reaction to the new terms.
“I have no reason to believe Mr. Buffett doesn’t support my management team,” Rosenfeld said. Buffett’s comments earlier in January had been seen as a rebuke of Kraft.
Earlier Tuesday, Cadbury accepted a GBP11.9 billion takeover offer from Kraft, a deal that ends a bitter four-month battle and nearly 200 years of independence for the U.K.’s largest confectionery company. The U.S. food company, which makes the Toblerone and Milka brands of chocolate, as well as processed cheese and ready-to-eat meals, said it has agreed to pay 840 pence a share for the company as well as a 10 pence dividend, sweetening the original offer and significantly increasing the cash element.
Kraft will pay 500 pence in cash for each Cadbury share as well as 0.1874 new Kraft shares, up from its original offer of 300 pence in cash and 0.2589 new Kraft shares. The original hostile bid had been rejected by the U.K.-based maker of Trident gum and Dairy Milk candy for being “derisory,” and had been criticized by some shareholders for offering too little in cash.
Rosenfeld argued in the interview that despite the higher price, Kraft believes the deal “would deliver attractive economic returns.”
She said that over the course of the transaction, she had conversations with many investors, including Buffett, and they told her there was “tremendous intrinsic value” in Kraft shares. That eventually pushed Kraft to significantly reduce the number of shares in the transaction.
Asked if other bidders might still emerge, Rosenfeld only said that she was confident her agreement with Cadbury would close. Hershey (HSY), far smaller than Kraft and with less financial firepower, is likely to be reluctant to jump in at this stage.
The deal will add 5 cents to Kraft’s per share earnings by 2011.
Rosenfeld said, “It is hard to argue that a deal that is quickly accretive to earning can be bad for our shareholders. It is a transformational transaction.”
Kraft would be able to increase its footprint in developing markets, she said, and get cost savings and faster growth from the combination. Kraft is committing to its dividend and expects to keep its investment-grade rating despite the sweetened bid.
The company is funding the cash portion of its bid through financing from banks that it had arranged for at the start of the takeover battle, proceeds from the sale of its pizza business to Nestle and cash on hand.
“There are revenue synergies and cost savings that will come from the combination that will be able to accelerate the growth of the combined company,” Rosenfeld said.
In India for instance, where Cabdury is strong, Kraft will use that sales network to grow the reach of Kraft brands, she said, whereas in a country like Brazil, Kraft will use its own network to boost Cadbury’s presence.
Closing the lengthy, and sometimes acrimonious, deal would be seen as a positive for Rosenfeld. But Kraft will also face challenges in integrating a giant company with a presence across the globe.
“They are getting an asset that will be very good for them. The price paid will take some justifying. It will take some time before Cadbury contributes to Kraft financially,” said Edward Jones analyst Matt Arnold.
Rosenfeld didn’t say what would happen to Cadbury’s top management, saying only that the company had a lot to work on in coming weeks.
“For a transaction of this magnitude we have been doing a great deal of integration planning…first hundred days planning,” she said, adding that it will be key to ensure that Cadbury maintains its business momentum.
The agreement brings to an end a lengthy battle that often threatened to go sour for Kraft.
“[I] feel quite good about the end results,” Rosenfeld said Tuesday.
Kraft shares, however, were down Tuesday, falling almost 2% to $29.00 in early afternoon trading.
Where junk bonds were once the game of hedge funds and private equity firms, they are now being re-branded as high-yield investments in Europe notes the Financial Times.
More and more regular investors and funds are dipping into the European high-yield bond pool, and issuances have increased 40 percent to respond to the demand.
This is liable not just to attract new entrants to the market in Europe, but also their high-yield experienced American counterparts.
“As European issuance, as a proportion of the global high yield market grows, you will get a virtuous circle effect as US fund managers start to allocate more of their global funds to Europe,” Mr Newman (portfolio manager at Rogge Global Partners) believes.
Try as you might to sound the alarm, this is inevitable for the same reason that high-yielding CDOs took off as a popular vehicle for pension funds. People just need yield. It’s not that they’re incredibly risk-averse or dumb, they need more money in an age of 1%.
Deweloper wpadł na oryginalny pomysł. Środki zebrane ze sprzedaży materiałów odzyskanych w trakcie rozbiórki przeznaczy na renowację ośrodków opiekujących się dziećmi.
Firma Concept Development rozpoczęła pierwsze prace na działce przy Grzybowskiej 87, na której stanąć ma 15-kondygnacyjny biurowiec. Zanim budowa szklanego gmachu będzie mogła się rozpocząć, z działki muszą zniknąć dotychczasowe zabudowania. Z początkiem roku rozpoczęło się więc burzenie stojącego tam budynku Metroneksu. Rozbieraniem budynku zajmuje się firma AF Group Polska.
Wyburzenie poprzedzone zostało fazą ręcznego demontażu wyposażenia budynków. Następny krok to mechaniczna rozbiórka elementów konstrukcji budynku.
Rozbiórka charytatywna
Deweloper znalazł oryginalny sposób na wspomożenie przy okazji rozbiórki organizacji charytatywnych. Gruz i inne materiały odzyskane z rozbiórki zostaną przeznaczone do sprzedaży, a uzyskane w ten sposób pieniądze zostaną przekazane na cele charytatywne. Każda dekonstrukcja powinna wiązać się z przyszłą konstrukcją przekonuje Bolesław Shugol, przedstawiciel Concept Development. Dlatego podczas opracowywania planu realizacji Concept Tower postanowiliśmy pochylić się nad sytuacją instytucji pomagających innym. Utworzony przez Concept Development fundusz remontowy chcielibyśmy przeznaczyć na renowację najbardziej potrzebujących ośrodków opiekujących się dziećmi zapewnia.
Przewidziany termin zakończenia demontażu oraz rozbiórek przy ulicy Grzybowskiej to 30 stycznia 2010 r.
9 tys. mkw. biur
Biurowiec powstanie niedaleko skrzyżowania ulicy Grzybowskiej i Karolkowej, obok planowanego projektu biurowo-mieszkalnego firmy Ablon. Concept Tower to biurowiec o wysokości 15 kondygnacji nadziemnych z trzema podziemnymi kondygnacjami garażowymi, w którym pomieści się niemal 9 tys. mkw. biur. Budynek zrealizowany będzie jako biurowiec klasy A z pełnym okablowaniem, systemowym BMS (Building Management System), klimatyzacją, podniesionymi podłogami i otwieranymi oknami. Powierzchnia typowej kondygnacji biurowej na piętrach od 1 do 6 wyniesie średnio 600 mkw., a na piętrach od 7 do 14 500 mkw. Na parterze oprócz foyer powstanie powierzchnia przeznaczona na działalność komercyjną oraz kawiarnia lub bistro.
Biura na sprzedaż
Realizacja projektu potrwa ok. 18 miesięcy. Inwestycja będzie nietypowa jak na stołeczny rynek biurowy. Zamiast wynajmować powierzchnię w biurowcu, deweloper zamierza ją sprzedawać. Najmniejsza powierzchnia, w posiadanie której może wejść kupujący, to ok. 90 mkw. Cena za 1 mkw. wynosi 18 20 tys. zł.
It never surprises me the creative uses for flash drives but the TravelStix is actually putting a positive and useful spin on it. Each Flash Drive is loaded with comprehensive travel forms that can be easily accessed with a simple plug-in.There are various packages depending on the traveler’s needs – ‘Traveling with a Relative or Family Friend,’ ‘Child Traveling Alone,’ ‘Grandparent Package,’ ‘Traveling Parent Package,’ and ‘Pet Care.’ The flash drives each include all the necessary forms required for travel – including authorization for medical decisions, authorization for custodial care, authorization for travel with relative, etc. The brand new TravelStix are $28.95. However becareful not loose it or some stranger will have all your information too!
Black January (Azerbaijani: Qara Yanvar), also known as Black Saturday or the January Massacre was a violent crackdown of Azerbaijani independence movement in Baku on January 19-20, 1990, pursuant to a state of emergency during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The Helsinki Watch and Memorial Society found compelling evidence that the imposition of a state of emergency led to the unwarranted breach of civil liberties and that the Soviet troops used unjustified force resulting in many deaths.[1] This includes the usage of armoured vehicles, bayonets and firing on clearly marked ambulances.[1] In the resolution of January 22, 1990 the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR declared that the decree of the Presidium of USSR Supreme Soviet of January 19, used to impose emergency rule in Baku and military deployment, constituted an act of agression.[2] Black January is seen as the rebirth of the Azerbaijan Republic.
Soviet tanks in Baku during Black January.
Events
The demonstrators demanded the ousting of Azerbaijani communist officials and called for independence from the Soviet Union.
The 12,000 strong MVD internal troops and numerous Soviet army and fleet units of Baku garrison and Caspian Flotilla did not intervene to stop riots, claiming that they had no orders from Moscow authorities. On January 15, the authorities declared states of emergency in other parts of Azerbaijan (but not in Baku), and the pogrom activity began to subside. At the same time, fearing an intervention of the central Soviet authorities, Popular Front activists began a blockade of military barracks.[3] They had already taken de facto control in a number of Azerbaijani regions.[3]
Late at night on January 19, 1990, 26,000 Soviet troops stormed Baku in order to crush the Popular Front. In the course of the storming, the troops attacked the protesters, firing in the crowds. The shooting continued for three days. They acted pursuant to a state of emergency (which continued on for more than 4 months) declared by the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium, signed by President Gorbachev. The state of emergency was, however, only disclosed to the Azerbaijani public hours[3] after the beginning of the storming, when many citizens already lay wounded or dead in the streets, hospitals and morgues of Baku.
Victims of Black January.
State of Emergency
According to Human Rights Watch, "while the Kremlin’s ostensible reason for the military action was to safeguard the Armenian population, most evidence simply does not support this contention. For example, documents of the military procurator’s office in Baku examined by Human Rights Watch/Helsinki indicate that the military action was being planned even before the January 13, 1990 pogroms".[3]
The Soviet army was trying to rescue the authoritarian regime, the rule of Communist Party and Soviet Union.
Almost the whole population of Baku turned out to bury the dead on the third day – January 22. For another 40 days, the country stayed away from work in a sign of mourning and mass protest.
Then Soviet Defense Minister Dimitri Yazov stated that the use of force in Baku was intended to prevent a de facto overthrow of local government by the non-communist opposition, namely the Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA), to prevent their victory in the upcoming elections scheduled for March 1990, and to destroy them as a political force, ensuring that the Communist government remained in power.[citation needed]
A special session of the Supreme Council (Parliament) of Azerbaijan SSR held on January 22, 1990 at the request of public and by initiative of the group of MPs tried to initially assess the January 20 events and adopted some documents condemning the crackdown operation by Soviet army.
Black January
The Human Rights Watch report entitled "Black January in Azerbaijan" states: "Indeed, the violence used by the Soviet Army on the night of January 19-20 was so out of proportion to the resistance offered by Azerbaijanis as to constitute an exercise in collective punishment. Since Soviet officials have stated publicly that the purpose of the intervention of Soviet troops was to prevent the ouster of the Communist-dominated government of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the nationalist-minded, noncommunist opposition, the punishment inflicted on Baku by Soviet soldiers may have been intended as a warning to nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan, but in the other Republics of the Soviet Union."
"The subsequent events in the Baltic Republics – where, in a remarkable parallel to the events in Baku, alleged civil disorder was cited as justification for violent intervention by Soviet troops -further confirms that the Soviet Government has demonstrated that it will deal harshly with nationalist movements," continues the Human Rights Watch report.
During the Black January crackdown, the Soviets managed to suppress all efforts to disseminate news from Azerbaijan to the local population and the international community. On the eve of the Soviet military invasion in Baku, an energy supply source to Azerbaijani TV and State Radio was blown up by intelligence officers in order to cut off the population from any source of information. TV and radio was silent and all print media was banned.[4] But Mirza Khazar and his staff at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty succeeded in broadcasting daily reports from Baku,[5] making it the only source of news to Azerbaijanis within and outside of the country for several days. The Kremlin leadership tried hard to keep the outside world and the population inside Azerbaijan unaware of the military invasion, but Mirza Khazar and his staff foiled this attempt. Thanks to Mirza Khazar and his staff at Radio Liberty, Azerbaijanis in and outside Azerbaijan, as well as the international community, learned about the Soviet invasion and gained a chance to organize protest actions. Shocked by this "surprising" development, the government of the USSR complained officially to the United States about Radio Liberty’s[6] coverage of the military invasion of Azerbaijan. The January 20, 1990, broadcasts turned Mirza Khazar into a legend among Azerbaijanis in and outside Azerbaijan. Melahet Agacankizi, a well-known Azerbaijani poetess and writer, described Mirza Khazars appearance on radio at the time of the Soviet military invasion as follows: On January 20, Mirza Khazar with his God-given divine voice, gave hope to the dying Azerbaijani people.[7]
The Wall Street Journal editorial of January 4, 1995 claimed that Gorbachev chose to use violence against "independence-seeking Azerbaijan."
Independence
On October 18, 1991, the Parliament of Azerbaijan restored country’s independence. Gorbachev later apologized to Azerbaijan by stating: "The declaration of a state emergency in Baku was the biggest mistake of my political career". In 1994, the National Assembly of Azerbaijan adopted a full political and legal evaluation of the Black January events. According to the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev from December 16, 1999, all victims of crackdown were awarded an honorary title of the "Martyr of January 20" (Azerbaijani: 20 yanvar şəhidi).
A Memorial dedicated to all victims of March Days and Black January.
We’ve already covered iPhone apps that will help you keep a New Year’s Resolution to get in better shape. Today we’re going to cover something a bit more personal, finding romance.
Dating has changed dramatically in the last 10 years, back then putting a personal ad online was considered a bit desperate. Today online dating services, dating gurus and checking potential dates out online is par for the course. Thankfully your iPhone can keep you plugged in to what you need so you can hopefully have someone to take out by Valentine’s.
Note: all links point to iTunes store.
Black Book
Price: $2.99 (free version also available)
Rating: 4 stars
It may be cliché, but keeping a central repository of the people you’ve dated along with their likes and dislikes can actually be extremely helpful. You don’t want to forget on the fifth date that the lady you’ve been wooing hates bowling and accidentally take her to the Bowl-O-Rama. Sure you could keep this information in the notes section of your iPhone’s address book, but having a private place to store your thoughts on dates is probably a good idea, and Black Book offers password protection to keep prying eyes out. For the ladies out there who might want something more feminine, the developer also offers Pink Book.
Match.com
Price: Free
Rating: 3 stars
It’s not the youngest or hippest dating network out there, but then again neither are some of us. Match.com is still one of the largest personals networks and the iPhone app does a good job of giving you access to most of the network’s features, albeit not all. There is a neat location feature that lets you search for people nearby. You can upload photos to your profile from the application as well as receive notification if someone’s winked at you or sent you a message.
Dating DNA Plus
Price: $4.99 (free version also available)
Rating: 3 stars
For those who want to go a bit beyond Match.com, Dating DNA offers compatibility checking, which makes it easier to find someone who you might actually get along with. The interface is clean and simple to use, including a nice coverflow view of potential matches. You can limit your profile’s visibility to those who meet a certain compatibility profile and do location based searches for possible matches as well.
Background Check App
Price: Free
Rating: 3 stars
Going out into the world of dating can sometimes be a bit scary, and if you’re not sure about that guy you met on that dating site a quick background check might not be a bad idea. This app includes three free background checks per week and in addition to standard information like criminal history and property records also finds information about their social networks online.
AstroLove
Price: $1.99
Rating: 3 stars
If you believe the future of your love life is in the stars, figuratively not literally, then AstroLove is for you. Easily and quickly find out how compatible you are with anyone else based on their birthdate. You get easy to read meters for love, stability and passion, as well as more in-depth advice. And even if you don’t believe in astrology, it can make for a fun conversation starter.
iWedding Deluxe
Price: $7.99
If you do get a date, and things go really well, you may find yourself planning a wedding by the end of the year. If so, iWedding Deluxe is your one stop shop, complete with budgeting, to-dos, guest tracking and seating charts. There’s also a database of wedding ideas if you need some inspiration for your big day. The application is well-organized and easy to use, a great way to keep your wedding from overwhelming you. You should note that there’s a previous version called iWedding which is now obsolete, so buy this version instead. There’s no difference in price, just a result of Apple’s poor App Store policies, but that’s a different article.
The giveaway today is some kind of gross Zombie Pizza game, which is fine. But stick around: last month, I made off with MiniSquadron, iBlast Moki and a few more gems, for free. [FreeAppADay]
The masses scoffed at General Motors five years ago when they introduced the first generation Cadillac SRX with hopes of stealing market share from premium crossovers like the BMW X5. Needless to say, the SRX didn’t really take off as GM had hoped.
In 2008 GM introduced the Cadillac Provoq concept, a study that would eventually lead to the redefinition of the segment that the SRX would come to compete in two years later. With one less row of seating, the new Theta platform (front-wheel or all-wheel-drive), aggressively sleek exterior and a cheaper price tag, the all-new 2010 Cadillac SRX now stands in competition with luxury crossovers the likes of the Lexus RX, Volvo XC60, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and the Acura MDX. But does it match up strong to the competition? Keep reading to find out.
Hit the jump to read more and to view our high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).
Review: 2010 Cadillac SRX:
2010 Cadillac SRX Specifications:
Base Price: $33,330. Price as Tested: $46,265. Engine: 3.0L V6 – 265-hp / 223 lb-ft of torque. Transmission: Hydra-Matic 6T70 6-speed automatic. Curb Weight: 4,224 lbs (FWD), 4,307 lbs (AWD). 0 to 60 mph: 8.2 seconds. Fuel-Economy: 18/25 mpg (city/highway).
Perhaps the Cadillac SEX would have been an appropriate name – it looks that good, and was designed to do so. “Cadillac is known for bold design. The 2010 SRX builds on that reputation,” said Clay Dean, Cadillac global design director. “As with the 2008 CTS, we advanced our Art and Science design to create a crossover for style-conscious customers. The exterior features a dramatic diving gesture on the body side to impart the feeling of movement, even at rest.”
With its multi-piece shield grille and Cadillac’s signature vertical headlamps featuring light pipe technology and available adaptive forward lighting, the front face of the SRX sweeps dramatically and blends into the flowing body that slopes downward at the rear, giving the vehicle a decidedly sporty profile. The back features angular tail lamps and sharp lines that blend with the rest of the body’s appearance, and a spoiler integrated on the rear-most edge of the roof continues sleek and sharp lines while improving aerodynamics.
Standing on a standard set of 18-inch wheels with a 20-inch option, the wide stance of the SRX makes it a much more appealing option than the somewhat dull designs of the Lexus RX, Volvo XC60, Mercedes-Benz GLK, and the Acura MDX.
Interior:
The SRX stands as a promising indicator that Detroit has finally realized the importance of interior quality and design in luxury vehicles. GM has ditched the plain, boring, and flimsy interior of the previous generation and installed an interior with heavy design-cues from the award-winning Cadillac CTS. Space is certainly plentiful in the 2010 SRX with ample seating and leg room for five in its plush leather seating and plenty of cargo space.
Starting the SRX is an experience of grand theatrics, as a simple push of the start button lights the speedometer with its center LCD screen and sends the needles shooting all the way around the gauges. Those who opt for the touch-screen navigation for $2,395 – or purchase the $41,350 SRX Performance model, on which the navigation comes standard – will get even more flair as the screen rises out of the top of the dash.
With a base MSRP of $33,330, the Cadillac SRX comes standard with AM/FM/XM Radio that features a single-slot CD player, 8-speaker Bose Sound System, mp3 playback, and Radio Data System. For $36,910 , the SRX Luxury Collection adds a cargo management system, front and rear ultrasonic parking assist, wood trim, interior ambient lighting, power lift-gate with memory height, UltraView sunroof, Bluetooth connectivity, Adaptive remote start, and OnStar with turn-by-turn navigation. The $41,350 SRX Performance Collection takes all from the Luxury Collection but adds navigation, a rearview camera system, 10GB music hard drive, and 10-speaker Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround Sound System. At the top-of-the-line, the $43,895 SRX Premium Collection adds heated/cooled seats and tri-zone automatic climate control.
While some of the SRX competitors may sport a more refined interior, the SRX offers more standard and technological features for a much lower price.
Performance:
The SRX’s engine options bring a major change to the line with the introduction of the standard 3.0L and optional 2.8L turbo. As of now, the 3.0L V6 is the only engine available in the SRX, and it puts out 265 horses and peaks at a torque of 223 lb-ft while mated to the Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. While the 8.2 second run from 0-60 mph is not quite impressive, such is forgivable in this vehicle, as the segment doesn’t really demand performance. With regard to comfort and overall drive quality, the SRX is on par with the competition.
Our accolades of this car are not without reservation however, as the breaks could have used a bit more leeway and the engine felt as if it was really laboring when the accelerator was stomped. As mentioned above, the SRX makes for a very comfortable vehicle, and that is what the luxury crossover segment is all about. As far as all-wheel-drive performance is concerned, we are really in no position to comment as the test-car we were given was a front-wheel-drive model.
For those of you wondering about the fuel-economy on the SRX, don’t expect too much. The EPA estimated 18/25 mpg (city/highway) is reasonable and expected on such a vehicle; we averaged a combined economy of 17.6 mpg throughout our test.
To those who are let down by the lack of power; don’t fret. GM is preparing to offer a new 2.8L turbocharged V6, derived from a family of refined engines that GM currently uses in their European luxury models. The engine is expected to produce about 300-hp and will be mated to an Aisin AF40 six-speed automatic transmission with ‘eco-mode’ – a driver-selectable option that alters transmission shift points to maximize fuel economy.
Overall:
Aggressively priced at $33,330, the SRX delivers tremendous value to shoppers in this segment. The only car in the segment priced lower would be the VolvoXC60 at $32,995, but the features available are laughable. The Mercedes-Benz GLK and Lexus RX come in at $34,600 and $37,625 respectively, and the Acura MDX comes in at almost $10,000 over the SRX at $42,230.
While some in the class may offer a more premium interior, when it comes to value and amenities the 2010 Cadillac SRX is the hands down winner. This car definitely warrants consideration by anyone interested in a crossover.
Różne prośby się tutaj przewijały, to teraz nie ankieta a głosowanie(a to tutaj wychodzi zazwyczaj rewelacyjnie;)) Znajoma startuje w konkursie na walentynkę milki(nagroda główna-reklama z życzeniami w danej lokalizacji).
Jak możecie, zróbcie te parę ‘klik’ i ją wspomóżcie-zagłosujcie:D http://www.ilovemilka.pl/v550C3
A, głosować można codziennie, ale zapewne jednorazowa mobilizacja na SSC już wiele pomoże :cheers:
Adapted from “Why You Should Question Your Agent’s ‘Objective’ Advice,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter.
You’ve found a beautiful condo that you’d like to call your own. You conduct a thorough assess¬ment of its value and identify several other ap¬pealing properties in the same neighborhood and price range. Believing you’ve found the magic bid, you phone your real-estate agent.
“Hmm…,” he says. “Sounds low. I’d bump it up by $10,000, just to be safe.”
This sounds high to you, but he’s the expert. Should you follow his advice?
Perhaps not. Whenever you negotiate through an agent, Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman note in their book, Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond (Bantam, 2007), the possibility of a conflict of interest—a clash between what’s best for you and what’s best for your representative—emerges.
It’s not that most agents are intentionally corrupt. Your realtor may truly believe that your happiness is his No. 1 priority. But if he will gain the most financially from a quick deal at a high price (and he probably will), he may find himself thinking of times when clients missed out on their dream homes by bidding too low—never mind that you have a few other dream condos in mind.
Federal and state governments typically try to minimize such problems by requiring full disclosure of conflicts of in¬terest, write Malhotra and Bazerman. Yet a 2005 laboratory study by researchers Daylian Cain, George Loewenstein, and Don Moore suggests that disclosure statements not only fail to reduce conflicts of interest but may actually exacerbate them. As it turns out, disclosure doesn’t ap¬pear to motivate us to examine our agents’ advice more carefully. Furthermore, disclosure gives advisers “strategic reason and moral license” to exaggerate their advice fur¬ther, according to Cain and his colleagues.
How can you prevent conflicts of interest from tainting your outcomes? Press your agent to back up advice with objective criteria—and check her advice against feedback from experts who don’t have a stake in your outcome. Finally, if your agent seems to be claiming more value than she creates, consider whether you can get a better deal on your own.
Adapted from “Dealing with Friends,” first published in the Negotiation newsletter.
We all know people who have “alligator arms.” When the restaurant check comes, they can’t manage to reach their wallets, or they quibble that they had the small tomato juice, and you had the large.
With our close friends, of course, the opposite tends to occur, with each person insisting on picking up the tab. Though motivated by mutual feelings of affection, these interactions can be awkward, even tense.
David Mandel, a scholar with Defence Research and Development Canada, recently conducted two experiments that tested how generosity affects negotiations among friends. Previous researchers had concluded that norms of fairness become more powerful between people with close ties. If that were the case, of course, friends would quickly agree on a fair price, and the deal would be done.
The situation is more complicated, Mandel found. Specifically, in his experiments, most sellers of a music CD bent over backwards to offer a generous price to their friends. In fact, the sellers’ asking prices were significantly lower than what their friends were willing to offer. Thus, these sellers assumed the curious stance of wanting to talk buyers down in price. (This finding is a reversal of the classic endowment effect, in which the owner of an object tends to value it more highly than others do.) Curiously, in Mandel’s studies, generosity toward friends proved to be something of a one-way street: when negotiating to buy from friends, participants were not motivated to overpay.
In dealings with friends, Mandel concludes, our attitudes and behavior vary depending on how the situation is framed and what “script” is evoked. The impulse toward generosity seems most powerful in exchanges in which “I am giving this to you.” When an allocation between two people is involved, however, a norm of fairness may dominate and suggest a 50-50 split. As a practical matter, that’s a graceful way of concluding a friendly dinner. And when friends have much more at stake—say, when one is selling a car or a house to the other—it’s wise to agree first on the appropriate process and principles to follow.
For the last month, I have been sitting here and waiting for the results of the special shareholder vote on the Class B 50 to 1 split. While doing this, I’ve been reading and number of articles over the last week on the possible results from the split. A common thread in a number of these articles has been how trading activity for the Class B shares will increase because of the share price drop, and the possible inclusion of BRK into the S&P 500 list.
While I can’t say whether or not BRK will be included into the S&P 500 list, those folks have their own metrics for that decision, I would certainly find that to be a rather interesting turn of events. While I can’t say what Mr. Buffett and Mr. Munger would say to that, it would make for some interest effects on share prices in the short-term and who knows where the share price will settle in the long-term.
Now, concerning Class B share prices, typically, I have found Class B shares stay at or below the 30:1 share price cap that was set up by the Berkshire Hathaway when the Class B shares were created. Plus, the Class A shares typically drove the Class B share prices on it’s upward movements. Now, these articles elude to how the increase in the Class B shares needed for the Burlington Northern takeover may reverse the trend in the control, by the Class A shares, because of day traders and the lower share price in the Class B shares will allow more trading volume by the average investor.
I find that to be a little difficult to believe when you consider other limitations built into the Class B shares. 1) you can’t buy into the Class A shares from the Class B shares, 2) the maximum price cap for the Class B shares should change from 30:1 to 1500:1 against the Class A share price, and 3) the voting rights available currently require 200:1 ratio of the Class B shares to get a single Class A vote should change to 10,000:1 after the split. Taking these items into account, I find it difficult that any investor or group of investors would find the Class B shares to be any more attractive than it was prior to the split.
Granted, inclusion of Berkshire Hathaway in the S&P 500, will change the share prices a lot due to the mandate that S&P 500 index fund HAVE to buy those shares and that would drive their share prices up for the Class B shares. I can’t even imagine what would happen to the Class A share prices in this scenario due to the scarcity in it’s trading volume and how much is held by Mr. Buffet alone. Could it be possible that he might become the first Trillionaire if that happened?
While those individuals think that this is a fairly likely outcome for the future, I’m not sure. They belief that the Class B share price will start driving the Class A share price is the only way that could happen. However, I am sure that Mr. Buffett and Mr. Munger have taken that into account in their desire to maintain their control over Berkshire Hathaway and their plans for it’s future growth.
Basically, I bought into Berkshire Hathaway because of it’s past and it’s present operations, and due to Mr. Buffett and Mr. Munger plans for the company’s future. That is why I will remain with them as well, rather than on the possible what-if’s. Any investor wishing to do the same should make that their primary and only consideration for Berkshire Hathaway now or after the split in the Class B share.
Teac and German manufacturer Avantgarde Acoustics have teamed up to produce a line of speakers that I can only hope sound as good as they look.
The G2 line consists of three models: the Duo, Duo Omega and Uno. All three models feature a frequency range of around 170-20,000Hz for speakers and 20-350Hz for the subwoofer, but the Duo Omega is the most expensive at the equivalent of $41,592. Even if you could afford it, there is no word on whether or not the speakers will be available outside of Japan. [Avantgarde via Le Journal du Geek via Newlaunches]
Started chatting about his on another thread so thought i’d start a new topic to outline what i know about what is happening along Cullercoats seafront.
Candyman – Rumoured icecream parlour/coffee shop, but not too sure. Last i saw they have knocked all the walls down, through to the rock shop on John Street and have dug the floors out too, so they are a way off completing…
The Old Amusements next to The Crescent Club – I think the owners of Mama Rosa’s/Brunos are developing it into a restaurant/winebar in a similar vein to Lui’s in Tynemouth…Looks great so far and should be open by the end of January.
Old Wine Merchant on Beverley Tce – Converting back into a house as far as i can see
Beacon House, Beverley Terrace – I don’t know, but some sort of renovation has been going on for over a year now, anyone else know?
I’ve thought for a while now that it would be really great to create some kind of continuous promenade from Tynemouth Station all the way along the seafront, past Cullercoats Bay and on to St Mary’s Lighthouse to link up the North Tyneside coast…
PARIS—The U.N.‘s panel of climate scientists said on Monday it would probe claims that its doomsday prediction for the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers was wrong, even as an expert said he had warned of the mistake.
The new controversy focuses on a reference in the IPCC’s landmark Fourth Assessment Report in 2007 that said the probability of glaciers in the Himalayas “disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high.”
Over the weekend, Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper reported that this reference came from the environmental group WWF, which in turn took it from an interview given by an Indian glaciologist to New Scientist magazine in 1999. There is no evidence that the claim was published in a peer-reviewed journal, a cornerstone of scientific credibility, the paper reported.
“We are looking into the issue of the Himalayan glaciers, and will take a position on it in the next two or three days,” IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri said in an email to AFP.
In an interview with AFP, a leading glaciologist who contributed to the Fourth Assessment Report described the mistake as huge and said he had notified his colleagues of it in late 2006, months before publication. Loss of the Himalayan glaciers by 2035 would take two or three times the highest expected rate of global warming, said Georg Kaser of the Geography Institute at Austria’s University of Innsbruck.
“This number is not just a little bit wrong, but far out of any order of magnitude,” said Kaser. “It is as wrong as can be wrong. To get this outcome, you would have to increase the ablation [ice loss] by 20 fold. You would have to raise temperatures by at least 12 degrees” Celsius, or 21.6 degrees Fahrenheit. “It is so wrong that it is not even worth discussing … I pointed it out.”
Asked why his warning had not been heeded, Kaser pointed to “a kind of amateurism” among experts from the region who were in charge of the chapter on climate impacts, where the reference appeared. “They might have been good hydrologists or botanists, but they were without any knowledge in glaciology,” he said.
The Fourth Assessment Report said that the evidence for global warming was now “unequivocal,” that the chief source for it was human-made, and that there were already signs of climate change, of which glacial melt was one. The massive publication had the effect of a political thunderclap, triggering promises to curb greenhouse gases that had stoked the problem.
Kaser said the core evidence of the Fourth Assessment Report remained incontrovertible. “I am careful in saying this, because immediately people will again engage in IPCC bashing, which would be wrong,” he said.
But he acknowledged that the process of peer review, scrutiny, and challenge which underpin the IPCC’s reputation had “entirely failed” when it came specifically to the 2035 figure.
The 2035 reference appeared in the second volume of the Fourth Assessment Report, a tome published in April 2007 that focused on the impacts of climate change, especially on human communities.
Part of the problem, said Kaser, was that “everyone was focused” on the first volume, published in February 2007, which detailed the physical science for climate change. Work on this volume was “much more attractive to the community” of glaciologists, and they had failed to pick up on the mistake that appeared in the second, he said.
The question of glacial melt is a vital one for South Asia, as it touches on flooding or water stress with the potential to affect hundreds of millions of lives.
Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has repeatedly challenged the IPCC’s claims.
Asi es, acaba de confirmarse que el nuevo SUV de Mitsubishi, el Mitsubishi ASX saldrá a la venta la próxima primavera. Este modelo cuenta con las características de un todoterreno pero al tener unas medidas más compactas lo hacen ideal para circular por ciudad. Tendrá tracción a las cuatro ruedas.
Saldrá a la venta en Japón el próximo mes de Febrero y lo hará junto a un motor de gasolina 1.8 MIVEC de 143 CV a la que se le añadirá un turbodiésel de inyección directa de 1.8 litros de 140 CV (aunque no esta confirmado de forma oficial). De serie dispondrá de una caja de cambios manual de 6 velocidades y a un sistema Automatic Start & Stop para reducir el consumo.
En cuanto a su diseño, no podemos pasar por alto su gran parrilla con un borde cromado que nos recuerda al Lancer EVO.
