There is holiday racing on Monday at Santa Anita and our free horse racing pick for our forum visitors will come in the Eddie Logan Stakes. Its for two year olds going 1 mile on the Santa Anita Turf course. There are not many with experience running on the grass in this event. With our free horse racing pick we will play #4 Via Verde to win. The Eddie Logan Stakes is scheduled as the 7th race on the Santa Anita card today. Post time is at 7:07PM Eastern Time and you can watch it on TVG.
Via Verde will have jockey Joel Rosario in the saddle and he is trained by John Sadler. This two year old is a $250,000 purchase. He is coming off a first place finish on a turf event at Santa Anita back on October 17th with Rosario aboard. Via Verde in his three career starts has posted a win with two seconds. This trainer jockey combination is hitting 27% winners in the past 60 days. Take this colt by Cherokee Run to win the Eddie Logan Stakes.
Play #4 Via Verde to win Race 7 at Santa Anita 6-1 on the Morning Line
Vanessa Woods is not only one of my dearest friends, she’s also an extremely gifted writer. Currently at Duke University, she studies the cognitive development of chimpanzees and bonobos at sanctuaries in the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Next June, Vanessa’s latest book, Bonobo Handshake, will be published–and I can’t wait…
Check out this video and read the description below:
Bonobo Handshake
In 2005, Vanessa Woods accepted a marriage proposal from a man she barely knew and agreed to join him on a research trip to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Settling in at a bonobo sanctuary in Congo’s capital, Vanessa and her fiancé entered the world of a rare ape with whom we share 98.7% of our DNA. Vanessa soon discovered that bonobos live in a peaceful society in which females are in charge, war is nonexistent, and sex is as common and friendly as a handshake.
A fascinating memoir of hope and adventure, Bonobo Handshake traces Vanessa’s self-discovery as she finds herself falling deeply in love with her husband, the apes, and her new surroundings. Courageous and extraordinary, Almost French meets The Poisonwood Bible in this true story of revelation and transformation in a fragile corner of Africa.
With the introduction of the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the redesigned Honda Insight, and a slew of other hybrid-versioned mainstream models, 2010 will go down as the model year that the hybrid market blew open and progressed from being the ‘Prius’ market.
Though Honda is no newcomer to the hybrid market, the 2010 Insight is their answer to the Toyota Prius; the iconic hybrid that defined the inaugural generation of the gas-electric hybrid vehicle. The low, flowing design with sporty rear hatch gives the Insight a a sleek, competitive, and hybrid-centric design, while not embarrassingly screaming ‘tree-hugger on board’ as you drive by.
But how will it hold up to the 2010 Toyota Prius? Let’s find out.
Hit the jump to read more and to view the high-res image gallery (at the bottom of the post).
The exterior design of the 2010 Honda Insight is typical of what one would expect of a hybrid vehicle; it’s small, has a bit of an elongated shape, and a low front that opens up into a much broader rear-hatch. That being said; there is enough aesthetic appeal so that even the harshest critic of the hybrid look might not be totally revolted.
Sitting on 15″ alloys, the front of the Insight sports projector-beam halogen headlights with blue-tinted chrome bezels that give the car a bit of visual-pop during the darker hours, and LED brake lights.
As we said before, however, looks couldn’t matter less when shopping for a car in a segment where all of your options look like a wedge of cheese; it’s what is inside and under the hood that matters most.
Interior:
The Insight’s interior reeks of the Civic and Fit, but that is not to say anything negative. The dash has a very futuristic feel with the LED speedometer that sits in a nook carved out above the main dash of the steering wheel. Generally speaking though, the dash has a rather modest motif, but we feel that it suits the car well. The LCD navigation/radio display screen (on the EX trim package) sits square in the middle of the dash, to the right of the digital climate control buttons. One space saving feature we thought was rather intuitive was the replacing of multiple HVAC vent option buttons, with a single touch button that cycled through the venting options with each push. In the middle of the gauge cluster, situated right behind the steering wheel, sits another small LCD screen, or Multi Information Display, as Honda has dubbed it, about the size of a deck of cards, that updates the driver as to their statistics such as fuel economy, and battery usage.
Another cool feature on the Insight’s Multi Information Display is the EcoAssist feature; a system that provides feedback to the driver via an ‘eco score’ in order to help the driver operate the car more efficiently. The EcoAssist system even has a companion iPhone app that reports to the driver how efficient their driving is. The driver’s trip is rated in leaves, with three leaves indicating an optimally efficient trip.
Overall interior comfort is also pretty impressive, with sufficient rear leg room for your tree-hugging friends. The rear seat folds down 60/40 to expand the already ample cargo space located under the rear hatch, making the Insight a modestly-sized vehicle with ample space to provide for an active lifestyle. You’ll get 15.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded up, and 31.5 cubic feet with the seats folded down.
Our assessment of the interior did not leave us without complaint, however. The overall material use is of standard quality, the navigation system lags and seems very third-partyish, and the removable cup-holder is in the most asinine location (you can even remove a little piece that makes the cup-holders disappear).
Performance:
The technology employed by Honda to power the 2010 Insight is their Integrated Motor Assist engine, or IMA for short. The conventional motor is a 1.3-liter, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine that puts out 98 horsepower and up to 123 lb-ft of torque. Figure in the integrated electric motor which sits between the engine and transmission, and the figures increase by 13 horsepower and and up to 58 extra lb-ft of torque. The IMA kicks in to aide the conventional engine during acceleration and uphill driving. The i-VTEC technology features its patented two valves per cylinder, and deactivates the intake when cruising at moderate speeds; this technology also aides in increasing fuel-economy, as does Honda’s CVT transmission. ECON mode, available as part of the EcoAssist system, offers a one touch feature that modifies the vehicles various systems to help minimize the overall energy expenditure of the vehicle, combining with the aforementioned attributes to provide an extremely fuel-efficient machine.
Though Honda employs these multiple fuel-saving technologies, the Toyota Prius still sits atop the hybrids as most fuel-efficient with its EPA estimated 48/51 mpg, and 50 mpg combined. The Insight gets an estimated 40/43 mpg, though we only averaged 35 mpg during our week-long test.
The only complaint we had with the vehicle’s overall performance was the jerk that you feel when the car switches between hybrid and conventional gasoline modes. Though the car performs decently, be in mind that it is a hybrid after all; top speed is about 112 mph and 60 mph comes in a sluggish 12 seconds.
Overall:
The Insight comes with a slightly more modest price-tag than does the Prius; pricing starts at $19,800, $21,300, and $23,100 for the LX, EX, and EX with Navigation trim packages, respectively. Compare these prices to those of the Prius; $22,400 for the Prius II, $23,400 for the Prius III, and $26,200 for the leather-trimmed Prius IV, and there is a considerable issue as to affordability.
Toyota though, offers more amenities and greater flexibility with regard to options on the Prius than Honda does on the Insight and as said before, the Prius trumps the Insight on fuel-economy as well. All in all we feel that the Prius represents a better buy in this segment.
One should bear in mind however, that Toyota has been chomping at the bit with Prius for quite sometime, and that the Insight represents Honda’s entry into the designated-hybrid segment, and it was in fact quite an effort. Honda also has an exciting new hybrid coupe in the pipeline, the 2011 CR-Z, which I’m eagerly anticipating.
It didn’t move us the way we need to. The science says that we’ve got to significantly reduce emissions over the next — over the next 40 years. There’s nothing in the Copenhagen agreement that ensures that that happens.
It made so few people happy, we included the deal in our list of green winners and losers of 2009 (GigaOM Pro subscription required). But as Obama says in his PBS interview, it’s his job to sell the benefits of a green economy to the American people now that the deal fell through on the world stage.
What was the big news that happened in your sector in Q3? Catch up with GigaOM Pro’s, “Quarterly Wrap-ups.”
If gold ends up rocketing higher as bulls expect, it could turn John Paulson into one of the richest men in the entire world, if not the richest.
This is because much of the world's wealthy lost money during the recent crisis and remain long the world economy, in contrast to Mr. Paulson.
Money Morning: On that famed list, at No. 33, is where you'll find Paulson today. The hedge-fund manager's financial acumen led to what is now being called the "the greatest trade ever." By shorting the subprime mortgage market, Paulson & Co. Inc. generated a $15 billion gain.
Paulson's personal net worth of $6 billion is impressive in its own right. But over the next several years, I believe that Paulson's trading savvy will vault him into the top spot.
And the vehicle that will take him there is gold.
It's an interesting thought, that Mr. Paulson could become the wealthiest person. It's actually possible, but would be very challenging to achieve.
According to Forbes, Warren Buffett's wealth comes to $40 billion at #2. Yet this wealth could be under pressure if the world economy stagnates and Mr. Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, merely grinds forward. Bill Gates was #1 at $50 billion, but has a similar problem as Mr. Buffett given that most of his wealth is in Microsoft.
Meanwhile John Paulson doubled his wealth to $6 billion in 2008 betting against the real estate market and is now near $6.8 billion. Now, he's a huge proponent of gold, which could conceivably rally while Berkshire and Microsoft go nowhere or fall. Far more importantly, unlike Mr. Buffett or Bill Gates, Mr. Paulson can earn juicy hedge fund performance fees off of the 30+ billion dollars in assets under management at his hedge fund Paulson & Co.
Thus a few killer years for the fund could earn a lot of fees. If you double $30 billion of assets, yet take a 20% performance fee, you earn $6 billion right there. Poor Warren Buffett doesn't collect these 20% cuts of other Berkshire shareholders' gains. He simply collects the profit from his own shares and takes a relatively small salary. Gates' wealth simply goes whereever Microsoft goes.
Hence if gold really shoots the moon, and say quintuples to $5000, there's a chance that Mr. Paulson's personal asset gains plus massive performance fees could vault him over Warren Buffett and Bill Gates' top spots.
Such a scenario would likely make him look like a new Warren Buffett, but there's a huge difference.
Paulson would make money on a giant speculative bet, and the majority of his wealth would likely be created via fees, not personal asset gains. Thus his personal performance would be vastly higher than his investors' and would be less due to investment acumen and more due to his sweet fee structure. This is a far cry from Mr. Buffett's no-fee, diversified, and conservative investment-built wealth.
We had a spiral ham for Christmas dinner, and whenever I bake a large ham, I make split pea soup with the leftovers. Split pea soup is one of those earthy, satisfying soups of winter. Although I usually make it with ham, you can leave out the ham and bones for a delicious vegetarian version.
I’ll admit upfront that I’m veering from our rule of sharing recipes made ONLY with ingredients from Trader Joe’s. You have to get the split peas elsewhere, but just about any grocer carries them. When I went to my local market, I grabbed the last bag of split peas on the shelf, so clearly a lot of people are making split pea soup this week.
I just leave the soup chunky and textured, but if you want a smooth soup, simply puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion/stick blender. You can also cook the soup in a crockpot. The longer the soup cooks, the more the peas will break down and make for a smoother soup.
Serve with some crunchy croutons or crusty bread, and it makes for a filling, inexpensive meal. It’s a nice balance to all the heavy holiday meals that are popular this time of year.
Split Pea Soup Recipe
1 (16 oz) pkg green split peas 1 pkg Mirepoix (or make your own by chopping 1 onion, 2 celery ribs, and 1 carrot) 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 (32 oz) carton chicken broth or vegetable broth (4 cups) 4 cups water 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 2 cubes frozen Crushed Garlic 1 tsp oregano Leftover ham bones and up to 1 cup chopped ham (optional) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Optional garnish – croutons, chopped ham, or parsley
1. Wash and drain peas (no need to soak). 2. In a soup pot, saute Mirepoix (onions, celery, carrot) in oil for 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add broth, water, garlic, oregano, ham bones, ham, salt, and pepper. 3. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until peas are tender and soup is a green color. 4.
Remove bones, tearing off any ham meat to add back to the soup. Taste and add more salt if needed.
5. Soup will thicken as it stands. If you prefer a thicker soup, let stand for 15 minutes, and then reheat. Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons, chopped ham, or chopped parsley.
Serves 8.
Variation: use 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary instead of oregano
Not a whole lot to report on this one other than the fact that LG has another Android handset on the way. A Boy Genius Report tipster passed along a screen shot of the inventory system for Sprint which shows an LS680 listed. There’s literally zero to accompany the screen shot so it’s all rumor and conjecture at this point. If it’s anything like the previous LG handsets, it will have a slideout QWERTY keyboard and full touch screen.
We’ll keep an eye on this one and report whatever we learn.
The Primal Blueprint, as our good readers know, is founded on the principle of evolutionary biology. This certainly applies to our view of what’s appropriate or not in terms of nutrition. In short, what our long time ancestors ate during the course of 2 million+ years, we’re still designed to eat. Even the last 200,000 years of hunting and gathering, from a physiological standpoint, trumps the comparatively short 10,000 or so years since the Agricultural Revolution, when humans commenced widespread farming practices and prepared grains as a significant part of their diet.
An article published in this month’s Science Magazine presents archeological evidence that, according to its author, challenges this accepted timeline. A number of readers have written me about this story. Here’s one letter among the bunch….
I’m a crossfitter in Colorado and most of the gym keeps a Grok diet and are confused about this article. Does this open the door to other minimally processed grains?
Let me give you the gist. Julio Mercader of the University of Calgary examined a variety of tools (scrapers, grinders, points, flakes, and drills) he and others retrieved from an excavation site in Northwest Mozambique. Based on dating of surrounding sediment layers, Mercader estimated the age of the oldest tools to be approximately 100,000 years old. Some 80% of the tools he found tested positive for sorghum starch residue, which – he says – suggests that sorghum was used as a food source at the time. Other residues found on the tools included African wine palm, African potato, the false banana, pigeon peas, and wild oranges.
Let’s suppose that Mercader’s dating estimates are correct. Let’s also suppose that the tools Mercader tested had indeed been used to prepare food, as the presence of other food residues suggest. First off, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the sorghum was also used as food. Tools, for prehistoric humans (if not for moderns as well) needed to serve multiple purposes, supporting not just food preparation but shelter construction and other daily living tasks. As one archeologist skeptic, Curtis Marean of Arizona State University in Tempe, explains, grasses were regular parts of “bedding” and “kindling.” Another critic, Huw Barton from the University of Leicester, questions Mercader’s assumption that the sorghum had been used for food based on the curious presence of the residue on tools not associated with food preparation, including drills.
However, the biggest stumbling block on the way to Mercader’s theory is sheer inefficiency. Just because evidence exists that they could, doesn’t mean that they did – with any regularity, if at all. I’m with critics of the findings like Marean and Loren Cordain, who argue that the full sequence of finding, collecting, transporting, processing and baking any kind of grain wouldn’t have been worth the effort for the nominal nutritional benefit gained. Make no mistake, the use of grains for food isn’t as simple as pulling and popping the seeds in your mouth. Even if you attempt to harvest the seeds by hand, a “tedious” process as Cordain notes, you’re still looking at a fairly lengthy processing. Raw, fully intact grains are indigestible for humans. The necessary preparation process involves – minimally – roasting (a relatively inadequate option) or fine grinding and baking (a better but more intensive method). Nothing from the excavation site shows any seed gathering tools like “animal skin containers” or baskets/pottery (too early for this time), as Cordain explains. Furthermore, there is nothing present at the site to confirm any kind of cooking preparation. As provocative as it is, it’s scientifically too big of a leap to make with any certitude.
Finally, even if the people of the Ngalue region did actually eat the sorghum as Mercader believes, there’s a big difference between suggesting grains were a significant and regular source of our ancestors’ diet 100,000 years ago and saying they were merely occasional – and probably desperation-induced – fruits of foraging labors. In times of scarcity, pre-Agricultural humans probably resorted to less nutritionally efficient means of “gathering.” It’s called the survival instinct, and it’s of little surprise that they might have been moved to a certain degree of ingenuity when their life depended on it. However, when the group was able to relocate or when traditional foods were in good supply again, logic dictates that they would have returned to their staple diets. The evidence supporting the use of the sorghum for food is relatively scant and virtually nonexistent when it comes to the gathering, processing and preparation of any significant supply. While Mercader’s research promps speculation to what an isolated group of early humans could have attempted on a small and likely very temporary scale, it doesn’t in any way rewrite the historical timeline on agricultural development – or evolutionary nutrition.
You know where I stand on Mercader’s study. I’m interested to hear what you all have to say about it. Shoot me your thoughts, and thanks as always for your great questions and comments. Keep ‘em coming!
A rumored update to webOS should hit today if the Sprint release notes are to be believed. The new version, 1.3.5, should improve battery life when on the edge of a 3G coverage area. According to the notes, the new version will launch either Google Maps or Sprint Navigation when tapping an address in the contact app. A welcome change is the shrinking of updates so they will be applicable in 2G coverage areas going forward. The updates have been so big in the past that they weren’t available to users in a 2G only area. That will change in the future.
My Pre hasn’t seen the update appear, but I’ll keep an eye out and apply it as soon as it is available. It is not clear if this update will address the program limit that Palm has indicated it will address. We’ll have to see if this update clears up enough problems to save Kevin’s Pre from extinction.
Being a Flashaholic has its perks, like maybe having the newest Touchflo 2.5 running on your device, and now in landscape. The update was released yesterday and it shows off the sexiness of Touchflo in a new landscape view. It was leaked from the Leo that is currently heading to T-mobile. Enjoy:
Completely unsurprising, Google is facing more and more resistance and scrutiny as it continues to get into new markets and increases its dominance in the ones it is already present. Very recently, Google has announced its acquisition plans of mobile advertising company AdMob for the hefty of $750 million. It would be the biggest deals in the advertising field for the company after the acquisition of DoubleClick for $3.1 billion in 2008. Last week though, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asked for more details on the deal and has prolonged the review period. Now, a couple of consumer groups are reaching out to the FTC to block the deal with concerns over anti-trust and privacy issues.
“[W]e know that closer scrutiny has been one consequence of Google’s success, and we’ve been talking to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over the past few weeks. This week we received what’s called a “second request,” which means that the FTC is asking for more information so that they can continue to review the deal,” Google originally responded to the extended scrutiny period.
At the time Google was confident that despite the delay due to the increased review period, which it rightly attributes to the company’s success, the deal would go through and didn’t believe there were any big stopping blocks. Even if the deal does go through, the process may bogged down for severa… (read more)
Griffin Up! – In support of Saab Automobile – click above to watch video
Neither Santa Claus nor the Grinch showed up for Saab faithful over Christmas, as the troubled automaker remains in limbo, with General Motors not releasing any further announcements over the holiday about the fate of several eleventh hour bids for its Swedish Patient from Spyker and others.
That silence hasn’t stopped fans of the marque from mobilizing on the Internet, as they’ve done everything from start a WordPress blob petition urging readers to boycott GM if they let Saab go under to penning support letters and/or eulogies for the fallen brand. One such individual, David Blumberg, has gone so far as to create an original song, Griffin Up! and he’s created a video montage using both current and historical footage of the brand to show why he feels the brand is worth saving. Even if you’re not a fan of the brand (or the soundtrack), the video footage provides a good reminder of what Saab has added to the global automotive discourse, and it’s worth taking for a spin if only to see footage of the sublime Aero X concept or the official Saab stunt driving team or a rally-prepped 9-3 Viggen tearing up Pikes Peak.
A final resolution of Saab’s fate is expected by New Year’s, but while your waiting, you can click through to the jump to view Blumberg’s handiwork for yourself. Thanks for the tip, GPG!
I was under control till i went on a vacation for 3 months.I was not using any medications.I controlled my diabeties with diet and exercise. But after almost 5 months today morning i checked my bloog glucose with montoring systesm.And my results are 295.What is the advice from fellow members? How to control my diabetes ? Any suggesstions,tips?
Palm Pre owners got a bonus gift this holiday season with today’s release of webOS 1.3.5, which promises improved battery life and more usable storage for app installation, among other things. The move makes good on Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein’s recent promise to upgrade the company’s mobile operating system, and it follows the release earlier this month of the Ares SDK, a web-based tool for developers looking to build on the platform. But the struggling manufacturer will need more than just an OS makeover and improved developer tools if it’s to compete in the era of the superphone.
The next few months will be critical for Palm, which has seen its handset sales slide following the Pre’s June debut. The company has promised to take its developer program fully public at next week’s CES show in Las Vegas in an effort to boost development for an app store sorely lacking in titles. And Verizon Wireless is preparing its employees for the launch of webOS devices as Sprint’s exclusive grip on the Pre and Pixi comes to an end. But the clock is ticking for Palm, which is increasingly being pummeled by competitors such as Apple and Android devices. The company must find better ways of marketing its handsets as they come to market through the nation’s largest carrier, and it must continue to improve the webOS as it fills the shelves of its app store. Palm may be the Jack Bauer of the mobile industry, lurching from crisis to crisis, but what it really needs is a high-profile launch through Verizon in the next couple of months. And it needs to do it without the drama.
Last week one of my patients went to refill a Valtrex prescription, and was offered generic valacyclovir for the first time. It made him nervous, so he requested I write a “brand-name only” script.
I confess the existence of a generic formulation of valacyclovir — which according to the PharmD here has been available for several months — was news to me. (Generic acylcovir and famciclovir* have been available for years.)
And while there is no reason to suspect generic valacylcovir will have any unusual issues related to efficacy or toxicity compared to the branded version, this Times article reminds us that this is not always the case:
Joe Graedon, who has been writing about pharmaceuticals for three decades and runs a consumer advocacy Web site, the People’s Pharmacy (peoplespharmacy.com), was 100 percent behind generics for many years. “We were the country’s leading generic enthusiasts,” he told me recently. But over the last eight or nine years, Mr. Graedon began hearing about “misadventures” from people who read his syndicated newspaper column.
What follows are some anecdotal experiences and opinions — largely from the psych, neurology, and cardiology fields — about the potential dangers of even slight differences in bioequivalence or excipients between branded and generic drugs. For even more of the same, read the comments section here.
Which brings me back to my patient: Since he’s taking the Valtrex for an unusual reason (recurrent HSV-related meningitis), and since he’s willing to pay extra for the branded version, I went ahead and wrote the “brand name only” script.
My thinking? Let’s see what a year or so of experience with generic valacyclovir brings us when used for more typical indications before making the switch.
Hablar de SsangYong no es hablar del pasado, de una marca prehistórica ni una marca que aún fabrica coches a pedales. Tiene una filosofía diferente, orientada a un público diferente y que se conforma con otras cosas que no son navegador de tropecientas pulgadas, ponerse a 250 km/h por carretera ni cosas así, más típicas de otras marcas como Mercedes, BMW o Audi.
He de decir que cuando estuve en Gran Bretaña, allí el mítico Musso (4×4 enorme y largo) era comercializado por Daewoo, entonces conocida, por lo que estamos hablando de una marca que no es nueva y que no está tan adentrada en el mercado europeo como otras, pero igualmente comprable y con todas las garantías. A lo largo de la prueba iremos viendo como no tiene desperdicio.
Motor y prestaciones
El Rodius sólo monta un motor de 2,7 litros diésel de 165 CV independientemente de la versión, cuya cualidad no es precisamente la aceleración, que consigue llegar a los 100 km/h desde parado en 12,9 segundos. Trabaja poco revolucionado, con suficiente holgura para llegar a regímenes altos, pero que a menos de 2.500 vueltas es lo óptimo. El par máximo está en 340 Nm en el rango desde las 1.850 rpm hasta las 3.250. Lo malo es que sus emisiones de CO2 se sitúan en 250 g/km, teniendo que pagar un 14,75% de impuesto de matriculación.
No es un coche para correr, es para ir tranquilo con la familia de paseo de excursión o a la nieve. Su velocidad punta se sitúa en 186 km/h pero a más de 140 km/h, aunque es muy capaz de alcanzarlo, no es recomendable sobrepasarlo, bien por las multas, bien por el ruido que genera el viento. Estamos ante un monovolumen poco aerodinámico, todo hay que decirlo.
La versión probada dispone de una caja automática de 5 velocidades con cambio secuencial tanto en la palanca de cambios como en el volante, mediante dos botones situados a cada lado del mismo integrados perfectamente. Aunque el cuenta revoluciones marcaba un corte de inyección a las 4.500, no era recomendable apurar tanto por el consumo que se disparaba como por el poco tirón que íbamos a tener. Lo óptimo es cambiar a no más de 3.500 vueltas.
La velocidad en autopista se nota en el confort de la marcha, sobre todo en plazas delanteras donde el ruido del viento era considerable. Sin embargo en las plazas traseras apenas se nota y permite disfrutar del DVD equipado de serie con total tranquilidad. La suspensión blanda y ligeramente baja, independiente y con paralelogramo deformable, es muy apta para ciudad y carreteras a ritmo tranquilo, así como condiciones de lluvia o nieve y a pesar de disponer de tracción integral con reductora, fuera del asfalto no gana mucho, sino que más bien pierde.
La suavidad en la dirección y el tacto del volante termina de confirmar que es un perfecto compañero de viaje para grandes familias o excursiones con los amigos (y alguna que otra despedida de soltero). La conducción placentera está asegurada tanto para ocupantes como conductores.
Y toda esta suavidad en la dirección, confort de la marcha y bajo régimen de vueltas no afecta a los frenos. Discos ventilados delante y detrás me sorprendieron gratamente al hacer una frenada de emergencia. Muy pocos coches me habían parecido tan seguros en dicha frenada, puesto que, a diferencia de lo que se pueda pensar, no pierde trayectoria en recta y la eficiencia es muy alta, sobre todo tratándose de un vehículo de más de 2.200 kilos de peso.
Entramos en materia de consumos. Se puede plantear de dos maneras: la primera es que las cifras dichas tal cual pueden parecer elevadas para tratarse de un diésel pero la cosa cambia cuando hacemos la relación consumo/pasajero y teniendo en cuenta que dispone de 7 plazas, un consumo de un 40% por encima de un turismo normal no nos parecerá exagerado.
En nuestro caso, obtuvimos un consumo de 8,7 litros a cada 100 kilómetros, apenas 6 décimas por encima del oficial pero a una velocidad de crucero cercana a 110 km/h, por lo que se podría haber alcanzado esta cifra. Es un consumo excesivo para un viaje de 2 personas, pero teniendo en cuenta que se puede dividir entre 7 personas, no resulta excesivo, aunque ligeramente por encima del mercado actual. En el depósito caben 80 litros.
Capacidad Offroad
Aunque dispone de tracción integral de marcha corta y larga, además de la tracción total permanente, no se puede considerar como un auténtico todoterreno. Su tracción total y reductora va más orientado al uso sobre superficies deslizantes, y aunque estamos seguros que es posible atravesar un barrizal con ella, preferimos no probarlo y quedarnos con la duda. Nos quedamos con las ganas de probarlo en superficies muy deslizantes.
No dispone de control de descensos ni control de pendientes, pero sí podemos afirmar que puede subir cuestas bastante empinadas sin ningún esfuerzo. Su corta altura libre al suelo de 182 mm no permite grandes excursiones por terrenos abruptos ni con mucho desnivel constante pero fuerza y poderío no dudamos que no tenga.
El modo específico winter al que se accede mediante un botón al lado de la palanca de cambios, permite establecer una configuración mucho más suave en la transmisión y caja de cambios. La primera marcha no se usa para nada, ni para arrancar -tiene suficiente fuerza para arrancar en segunda- y la potencia del motor que se traslada a las ruedas es más suave para evitar patinazos.
En la segunda parte hablaremos de su peculiar diseño, tanto interior como exterior. No pretendemos convencer a nadie, simplemente os mostraremos todo lo que nos ha fascinado desde dentro, donde cada espacio y cada detalle está pensado. Y el que avisa no es traidor.
Updated Tuesday, 12:35 am ET: Well…wow. The Bears won a game on Monday night. Didn’t see that comin’. That’s two wins in eight weeks for Chicago. Hunter Hillenmeyer(notes) and Devin Aromashodu(notes), please accept the game balls. This post was originally written assuming a Minnesota win, but Chicago’s victory changes a few things below. Edits have been made. I will happily accept your abuse. Read on…
OK, so Week 16 won’t officially end until the Vikings have annihilated LOST to the Bears on Monday night. But those of you who decide fantasy championships in Week 17 need to begin the process of determining which players are safe and which are not in the title round. (Just for the record, we do not endorse Week 17 championships. We simply acknowledge their existence). Know your playoff scenarios, gamers.
Below you’ll find a quick sweep of the NFL’s elite teams, with an eye toward start/sit potential. Many marquee names are risky plays. Let’s review:
• The Colts (14-1) have already demonstrated that they will not risk the health of the notoriously fragile Peyton Manning(notes) in a late-season contest when home field advantage is clinched. Don’t be fooled by the 191 consecutive games; Manning is a delicate flower. We’re clearly going to get a second helping of Curtis Painter(notes) in Week 17 at Buffalo. Running back Donald Brown(notes) is a player of interest facing the NFL’s worst run defense, but Joseph Addai(notes) isn’t. Austin Collie(notes), yes. Reggie Wayne(notes) and Dallas Clark(notes), no. Don’t expect another 40 minutes of game time from Indianapolis starters.
Turner said that after Friday’s practice the coaching staff will decide who plays against the Redskins. By the time the Chargers play a meaningful game, it will have been three weeks since some of them were in a game. For some, it will have been four weeks or more.
But there are those among them who need it, and while Turner said his plan is fluid, it is almost certain some players won’t face the Redskins.
• The Patriots (10-5) secured a division title on Sunday when they steamrolled Jacksonville. They’re guaranteed a home playoff game and the AFC wild card picture is too murky for New England to handpick a future opponent. The Boston Globe argues that rest is in order for Week 17, just like 2005:
No reason to risk Brady’s health, or the well-being of Vince Wilfork(notes),Ty Warren(notes), or anyone else on the roster who’s even marginally nicked. And it’s not hard to figure the reason. Without Brady or Wilfork, this team isn’t going anywhere, and the margin of error is thin enough that the slightest player attrition could spell the end in the playoffs. … Warren said after yesterday’s win over the Jaguars that a motivating factor for him to play was to get the division wrapped up, and give the team the leeway to make the decision next week on his availability.
• The Bengals (10-5) will face the Jets on Sunday night in the final game of Week 17. That gives them an opportunity to choose their opponent for the first round of the playoffs, if they care to do it. But even if Cincinnati were involved in a must-win contest, the matchup with New York would obviously be messy. The Jets’ defense has allowed the fewest total points per game this season (15.7), the fewest passing yards (163.3), and the ninth fewest rushing yards (100.4).
• Arizona (10-5) has clinched the NFC West, and only a total collapse by both Minnesota and Philadelphia will position the Cardinals for a bye. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt received an outstanding effort from his team in the Week 16 mauling of the Rams; there’s little chance he’ll put anything interesting on tape next week against Green Bay if the Vikings lose to the Giants in the early game on Sunday, then the Cards will obviously go full-tilt in the afternoon. But if the Vikes beat New York, Arizona won’t have a shot at a bye.
Ten wins means the Cardinals can tank next week’s game against the Packers without a hint of repercussion or remorse, especially because Green Bay is shaping up as a potential first-round playoff opponent. Ten wins means the Cardinals already have reached their goals for the regular season, and the regular-season finale will be nothing but a glorified exhibition.
• When Minnesota (11-4) lost on Monday night, New Orleans (13-2) officially clinched home field advantage in the NFC. The Saints will have the luxury of resting injured players next week at Carolina if they choose to, but that seems unlikely since they’re coming off an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay. The Vikings clearly have motivation to win in Week 17, although Brad Childress occasionally seems to think he’s coaching the Colts they no longer control their own destiny.
• All of your Eagles and Cowboys are safe; those teams are facing off for the NFC East crown in Week 17. The Eagles can earn a playoff bye with a win. The Cowboys can still secure a bye if A) they win, B) the Vikings lose again, and C) the Cardinals lose or tie.
• If you’re dependent on Jets, Ravens, Broncos, Texans, Steelers, Dolphins or Jaguars – amazingly, all of those teams are alive in the AFC playoff race – then you’re in luck. Baltimore and New York are the squads that control their own fates, and they’ll play at 4:15 and 8:30 pm ET.
So there you go. As often happens, Week 17 is a small mess for fantasy purposes. Why some of you choose to decide your champion in such a difficult and unknowable week, I can’t say. You’re now free to explain your reasons in comments…
Sangyup Lee, the man responsible of the 2010 Chevy Camaro design project is now leaving GM, after 10 years of service. Starting from mid-2010 he is reportedly going to join the team at VW’s California-based Advanced design studio, as chief exterior designer for VW/Audi.
The whole design story of the 2010 Camaro is such a huge example of how unexpected history can be. The car’s design is one of the best reinterpretation of a classic American motoring icon the world has ever seen. S… (read more)
Rumor has it that Lamborghini is planning a hardcore version of the Gallardo LP560-4 called the Gallardo LP570-4 SV (SuperVeloce). Insiders say that the model will be stripped down but will only push out 10 more horsepower than the base model. The front suspension will also see some work and carbon ceramic brakes are aslo expected. You can also look forward to seeing some aggressive body design cues.
Lamborghini will show dealers and VIPs the car sometime next month with a public unveiling at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Deliveries should begin around May.
The folks over at TeamSpeed say that the Gallardo LP570-4 SV won’t be the last version of the supercar before it goes under a redesign in 2012. A hardcore rear-wheel-drive version is also expected to debut sometime in early 2011.
Clearly the 
Not a whole lot to report on this one other than the fact that LG has another Android handset on the way. A Boy Genius Report tipster passed along a screen shot of the 
A rumored update to webOS 
Completely unsurprising, Google is facing more and more resistance and scrutiny as it continues to get into new markets and increases its dominance in the ones it is already present. Very recently, Google has announced its acquisition plans of mobile advertising company AdMob for the hefty of $750 million. It would be the biggest deals in the advertising field for the company after the acquisition of DoubleClick for $3.1 billion in 2008. Last week though, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asked for more details on the deal and has prolonged the review period. Now, a couple of consumer groups are reaching out to the FTC to block the deal with concerns over anti-trust and privacy issues.
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(Generic acylcovir and famciclovir* have been available for years.)
Sangyup Lee, the man responsible of the 2010 Chevy Camaro design project is now leaving GM, after 10 years of service. Starting from mid-2010 he is reportedly going to join the team at VW’s California-based Advanced design studio, as chief exterior designer for VW/Audi.