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Filed under: Etc., UK, Celebrities, Humor

Season 14 of Top Gear is nearly finished, and some fans are singing “The Thrill is Gone” where before the tune had been “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.” The creators have heard the complaints and producer Andy Wilman doesn’t disagree that something is different this time around.

While Wilman’s not in league with Internet whiners lamenting about how the show feels overly scripted, he does acknowledge the complaints while stating unequivocally “it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to do anything about them.” The overly-scripted feel isn’t on-purpose, says Wilman, and while he does acknowledge that things have changed, there have been flashes of the simple formula that’s gotten TG to its current stature of greatness. The refusal to submit to any Internet pressure isn’t arrogance, says Wilman, “we’re not wedding DJs taking requests.”

If you don’t like everything, Wilman posits, then the creators of what many call the best car show ever haven’t stopped trying. It may not all work all the time, but they’re not going to give up trying things, right up to the end. When does it end? It’s been rumored that this is the final season. Of course, it was rumored that Season 13 was the end, too. “This incarnation of Top Gear is nearer the end than the beginning,” says the producer, but clearly the team isn’t ready to hang it up just yet.

[Source: TopGear.com]

Not digging Top Gear this season? Read this. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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by Brad Johnson

Cross-posted from the Wonk Room.

A new scientific report, the Copenhagen Prognosis,
outlines the terrible challenge the world faces from climate change—as well as several paths to safety. World leaders in Copenhagen
struggled to come to a provisional accord that would provide a
framework for sustainable civilization. But a team of the world’s top
climate scientists have offered a stinging indictment of the political
process, noting that the unofficial commitments made are “not consistent with the expressed political will to protect humanity:”

A broader analysis of tipping points and feedbacks reinforces the conclusion that greenhouse
gas (GHG) emission reductions targets currently being tabled within the
political realm are not consistent with the expressed political will to
protect humanity against high risks of devastating climate impacts and significant risks of self-amplifying global warming.

The Prognosis indicates that for a “good chance” (75 percent) of avoiding
“major societal and environmental disruptions through the rest of the
century and beyond … global GHG emissions would almost certainly need
to decline extremely rapidly after 2015, and reach essentially zero by
midcentury.”

This is indeed an “almost overwhelming challenge,” but “there is no evidence suggesting it is impossible:”

To the contrary, the growing body of analytical work examining such scenarios at the global and regional level suggest it is not only technically feasible but also economically affordable, even profitable.

It should come as little surprise that a clean-energy economy is not
just more sustainable but more profitable than one based on the
reckless waste of unrecoverable resources—but economists are just now
beginning to recognize that fact.

The Copenhagen Accord reaffirms the goal of limiting warming to less than 2 degrees C
above pre-industrial levels, but negotiators jettisoned the target of cutting global warming emissions in half by 2050. Even that goal, the Copenhagen Prognosis finds, is utterly insufficient:

The Copenhagen Prognosis was prepared by top climate scientists, including the Stockholm Environment Institute‘s Sivan Kartha, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research‘s Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, and was endorsed by IPCC director Rachendra Pachauri’s Energy Resources Institute.

We’ve passed the threshold of safety and security, and each
additional ton of carbon, each year emissions rise, each year
concentrations do not drop—we are killing people.

We need to separate the science—that we are at unsafe levels of
greenhouse gases and our destabilized climate is killing people—from
the policy of setting deadlines and targets.

We know that any deadline or target to eradicate hunger and poverty
is insufficient, but we make them anyway. We need the same
understanding with climate change.

Related Links:

Copenhagen blame game is obstacle to 2010 climate deal

Greenpeace Spain demands Denmark release its director

What happens now for the forests?

Earlier this year, Apple finally agreed to strong pressure from the major record labels to introduce variable pricing on iTunes — which officially would make some popular songs $1.29 and (in theory) also offer older, back catalog songs for $0.69. In reality, it’s pretty difficult to find any of those $0.69 songs. However, as a musician, which would you prefer? Well, as Shocklee alerts us, most musicians might not see any of that additional fee (that report is a little misleading, though, in that it suggests — incorrectly — that all songs were driven up to $1.29). I have to admit that I’m a bit surprised by this, and wonder if it’s really accurate. The telling quote in the article is this one:

“Artists receive fixed residuals for music sales based on individual contracts via their respective record companies,” says Max Clingerman, a music executive for MixJam Records who explains “the staggering price increases are not for the artist interest, rather intended for executive pockets.”

While I’m sure the intention was very much for exec pockets, I was under the impression that most major label contracts included royalty rates based on retail price. And while most signed musicians never recoup their advance, and thus never see any royalties whatsoever (no matter what the price), I do wonder if it’s really true that musicians don’t get a larger cut of higher priced digital sales (at least in the fictional accounting systems the labels use).

Of course, the larger point made by the article is almost certainly true. In increasing the price to $1.29, the demand for such songs has been driven down significantly, leading people to look for alternative sources for the same music.

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Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ford, Earnings/Financials, UAW/Unions

According to Ford spokesman Mark Truby, “Despite a strengthening in our business, we still have a surplus in employees.” Union employees to be specific. As such, Ford has just announced plans to reduce its unionized workforce by offering a buyout package to all 41,000 UAW members currently employed by the automaker.

Reuters reports that Ford workers with at least one year of experience can take a payout of $50,000 plus a new car voucher worth $25,000 or an additional cash payment of $20,000. Retirement-age workers can opt to take their pensions plus the $25,000 new vehicle voucher or the $20,000 payment. Finally, skilled-trade workers that are eligible for retirement can opt for a $40,000 payout plus their pensions.

Ford says these efforts are necessary to remain competitive with foreign rivals and fellow American automakers General Motors and Chrysler, both of which recently went through government-sponsored bankruptcy proceedings and extensive reorganization. Earlier this year, Ford’s UAW workers voted down a revised contract that would have essentially granted Ford the same measures that unionized auto workers had earlier extended to Chrysler and General Motors.

Workers who accept the buyout packages would leave sometime during the month of February, 2010. Any new workers hired as replacements will start at $14 per hour under the latest UAW contract, which is half of the current average wage of UAW employees being offered the buyouts.

[Source: Reuters | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

REPORT: Ford offering all 41,000 UAW workers buyout packages originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Sony Bravia XBR10/ZX5 was a rather interesting play that just couldn’t really gain any traction in the TV market. This unique Bravia was offered at 46″ and 52″ sizes at very high prices, but offered a super thin profile, wireless 1080P capability and a LED edge-lit LCD. The picture quality was great in my observations but I knew the price would turn people off. However, one cannot ignore that this was perhaps a product ahead of its time and a true marvel in Sony engineering. In these photos from Sony Japan, we can see the black and white ZX5 (that’s what they call the XBR10 in Japan) in various poses and settings. Check out all of the high resolution XBR10/ZX5 pictures at our Picasa Gallery – make once you’ve clicked on a picture that you hit the download link within to see the full resolution.

by Daniel J. Weiss

The 15th United Nations climate summit has just ended in
Copenhagen after a tense two weeks of negotiations between the
developed and developing world. An “environmental Woodstock” to some,
a high stakes diplomatic showdown to others, the meeting led to some critical but incomplete agreements.

Now that it’s over, the world’s attention will focus on the United
States Senate as it plans to consider clean energy and global warming
legislation in 2010. The newly inked Copenhagen Accord, along with
other factors, increases the odds for Senate passage of clean energy
jobs and global warming legislation.

The Copenhagen Accord should form the basis for future negotiations that hope to culminate in an international agreement to reduce global
warming pollution in levels sufficient enough to prevent a 2 degree C (3.6 F) warming. The Accord should also contribute
to passage of a Senate clean energy and global warming bill. The
Accord includes two provisions that address some undecided senators’
concerns about pollution reductions from China and India.
In advance of the summit, these two nations made their first commitment
to reduce the rate of pollution compared to their economies.
Obviously, these two emerging economic powers could do more to reduce
the rapidly rising emissions, but these levels of reductions are a good
start.

The Accord also includes an agreement by China and other developing countries to report on their voluntary actions to reduce pollution. These reports would be subject to “international consultations and
analysis,” which would provide more certainty about whether developing
nations are fulfilling their voluntary pledges to reduce their
pollution rates. President Obama secured this big concession from China, which is notable due to its notoriously opaque government.

Although the Accord is not yet binding, this agreement should quell
some senators’ uncertainty about China, India, and other developing
nations’ level and transparency of pollution reductions. These
concerns have been a major reason that some senators from Midwestern
states were reluctant to support domestic global warming legislation. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), sponsor of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, noted
that the Accord “sets the stage for a final deal and for Senate passage
this spring of major legislation at home.”

In the wake of the Copenhagen Accord, there are several other
factors that should also provide impetuous for clean energy legislation
in 2010. Establishment of a global warming pollution reduction program
would be a boost to the depressed economy. Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman noted that such legislation would have the “same economic effects as a
major technological innovation: It would give businesses a reason to
invest in new equipment and facilities … And given the current state of
the economy, that’s just what the doctor ordered.”

In 2010, President Obama’s number one priority will be lifting the
unemployment woes that began before he took office. Since the first
days of his administration, an important element of his economic recovery plans included the transition to a clean energy economy. Vice President Joe Biden estimates that the clean energy programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would create nearly 900,000 jobs. On Dec. 9, President Obama proposed a program to create jobs via incentives for residential building energy efficiency retrofits. He will continue to advocate clean energy legislation to restore
American energy competitiveness, which was ceded to China and Germany
due to disregard for clean energy technologies under President George
W. Bush Clean. And energy legislation should be a prominent part of the 2010
effort to create more jobs and restore American competitiveness.

As nations’ economies recover, their demand for oil will recover and oil prices will rise.  The Energy Information Administration “Annual Energy Outlook 2010” predicts that oil prices will rise from $75 per barrel in 2010 to $100
per barrel in 2015.  This prediction may be very conservative.  Noted
oilman T. Boone Pickens predicted in October that consumers may face “$90 before the end of
2010.”  Higher oil prices should increase the imperative to adopt
comprehensive clean energy legislation that would reduce oil use and
increase American energy independence.

On Dec. 15, the Environmental Protection Action issued the long awaited “endangerment finding”
under the Clean Air Act that says greenhouse gas pollution threatens public
health. This finding comes two and half years after the Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts v. EPA that the agency has the obligation to assess whether greenhouse gases
endanger public health, and if so, to take steps to reduce this
pollution. The endangerment finding is the first step before EPA can
set limits on pollution from major (25,000 tons of carbon dioxide
annually) emitters. In March, EPA expects to issue limits on
greenhouse gases from cars, with limits for other industries to follow.

President Obama, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson,
and many in Congress believe that Congress, and not EPA, should set
greenhouse gas pollution limits. Legislation can include other
policies that would reduce pollution—such as incentives for renewable
electricity or energy efficiency—that EPA lacks the authority to
implement. In addition, Congress can design a pollution reduction
system that provides a relatively smooth economic transition for
consumers and workers. EPA’s authority to set pollution limits for
major polluters is a sword of Damocles hanging over the Senate should
it fail to act.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ark.) and other opponents of global warming solutions would like to
block EPA’s ability to set pollution limits. She has introduced a
resolution to invoke the Congressional Review Act that would stop EPA
from enforcing the law as ordered by the Supreme Court. To succeed,
her resolution must pass the Senate and House, and President Obama must
sign it too, or Congress must override his veto with a two-thirds vote
in each body. Given this procedure, the prospects for Murkowski’s
success are small. This means that Congress must act to cut greenhouse
pollution or EPA will despite administration and legislative preference
for Congressional action.

Final passage of health care reform should also provide a boost to
clean energy legislation. Health care reform has dominated Senate
attention for the past six months. Completion of the reform bill
should free up the “band width” necessary to address clean energy
legislation. Health care success would also demonstrate that Congress
is capable of addressing big pressing challenges. Success should also
replenish President Obama’s political capital that he expended to pass
health care. He will need to invest this capital to achieve Senate
passage of clean energy legislation.

Public opinion remains very supportive of action on global warming
despite relentless attacks from a $100 million campaign by Big Oil and
other energy special interests. The Dec. 18 Washington Post-ABC News poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the United
States should “regulate the release of greenhouse gases from sources
like power plants, cars, and factories in an effort to reduce global
warming.” And the intensity favors those who strongly support action
versus those who strongly oppose it—50 percent to 20 percent.

The bottom line is that there are a number of recent factors
that significantly boost prospects for clean energy jobs and global
warming legislation in 2010. President Obama’s international and
domestic leadership, the Copenhagen Accord, the need for jobs, EPA’s
enforcement of the Clean Air Act, completion of health care, and the
public’s support for reform are all factors that should improve
prospects for Senate legislation in 2010. President Obama is like a
wily gambler who has been dealt some very good political cards. By
playing these cards right, he can parlay this hand into big winnings
for all Americans.

Related Links:

Greenpeace Spain demands Denmark release its director

What happens now for the forests?

Copenhagen coal in the stocking?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Audi, Electric

Will the real torque figure of the Audi e-tron concept please stand up? While the German automaker continues to claim its all-electric concept sportscar manages a stout, locomotive-like 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque, the sleuthing boys at Automobile Magazine weren’t buying it, instead coming up with a much more mundane rating of 252 lb-ft of torque after performing some back-of-a-paper-napkin calculations.

It would seem that the real torque figure lies somewhere in between those two estimates, though significantly closer to the lower, unadvertised number: 501.5 lb-ft. That’s the total combined output of the four individual electric motors, says Audi. The astronomical 3,319 is the torque as measured at the wheels after being geared down and multiplied. So, why the disparity between the actual torque of the motors and the figure espoused by Audi to the motoring press?

Well, besides the obvious answer that 3,319 lb-ft at the wheels sounds much more impressive, Audi’s engineers apparently thought the larger number was more indicative of the actual feeling of all the push generated by the four electric motors when accelerating from a dead stop, as the maximum torque figure is achieved right from zero RPM.

Regardless, using the still-impressive rating of 501.5 lb-ft is, in our opinion, much more accurate and easier to compare with the rest of the automotive field than the seemingly disingenuous 3,319 figure, and it’s the number we plan to use when describing the car from this point forward.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

FOLLOW-UP: Audi says electric e-tron puts out 501.5 lb-ft originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New show from Spaceflight Now: This Week in Space 
New blog from NPR: 13.7: Cosmos and Culture
Red Orbit: Antifreeze molecule found in Alaska beetle
‘Nova’ on PBS: ‘The Last Great Ape’ …(read more)

If you’re hosting a holiday family gathering later this week, you’re likely already thinking of ways to make your home more inviting. I’m no fan of artificial air fresheners, especially since there’s a natural and perfectly dreamy way to add scent: simmering pot recipes!

One of the best things about simmering good smells on the stove is that you probably don’t have to make a special trip to crowded stores to make it work. Most likely, you already have the tools you need to simmer some good smells on the stove. Plus, the added moisture in the air can be very welcome during the winter when the heater tends to reduce humidity in your home.

Simmering scents in a pot may not be as carefree as plugging in an air freshener, but with a little caution, you can make it work. Fill a pot with water and items like cinnamon sticks, cloves and apple peels. Let it simmer gently and re-check the water levels periodically (around twice an hour). Of course, this method won’t work if you’re not home as you shouldn’t leave the stove unattended.

In addition to cinnamon sticks (my favorite) and cloves, other items to use in simmering pot recipes include anise, nutmeg, rosemary, lavender and peels from fruit. Visit Tipnut for 13 Simmering Pot Recipes. Tipnut also recommends refrigerating leftover simmers for reuse up to one week.

Other smell-good tips

• If you want your clothes dryer (and clothes) to smell naturally nice as well, try putting some essential oil drops on a cloth and adding that to the dryer with a load of laundry.
• Sprinkle baking soda on your carpet and allow to sit before vacuuming.
• Eliminate smells from pet accidents by cleaning the area with vinegar. The vinegar smell dissipates, but if it bothers you when applying, there’s a simple way to tone it down. Add two or three drops of essential oil and some water to vinegar in a spray bottle. I’ve never had a problem with the essential oil damaging carpet, especially since it’s so diluted, but you may wish to test a small area of carpet first.

How do you freshen the air in your home?

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Add Natural Simmering Scent to the Holidays

The skill of fantasy football is making the playoffs. The luck of fantasy football is what happens to you once you’re in the dance.

I spent plenty of time debating my Week 15 plays for the FF Semifinals. I’m not going to boast of any of the proper calls, today it’s all about ruing the decisions gone wrong. Let’s look at some of the red ink:

I had all week to ruminate about Maurice Morris(notes), Leonard Weaver(notes) and Kevin Faulk(notes) in the Friends & Family League. Called that wrong, it probably wasn’t going to matter up against Scott Engel’s juggernaut. That said, had I kept Chris Chambers(notes) in the lineup too, maybe we’ve got a game (I’ve still got Devin Thomas(notes), for whatever that means).

Had a gut feeling of Robert Meachem(notes) over Chad Ochocinco(notes), go where the points are (plus Carson Palmer(notes) had me worried off his stink bomb in Minnesota). Fortunately this miscue isn’t going to cost me, that team has already advanced to the finals.

I’ve had a pretty good year with fantasy defenses but I didn’t get a bonanza payoff from the Houston Texans (11 default points) or Seattle Seahawks (two points) this week. And so it goes.

Jeremy Shockey’s(notes) zero might cost me one game. It’s a deep league where we start two tight ends per week. I was considering a free-agent move but there wasn’t a lot out there. I got home Saturday night about 10 minutes into the action – just in time to see that Shockey was on the sidelines, in street clothes. Thanks for nothing, J-Shock.

I’m positive I steered one person away from Joshua Cribbs(notes). I can’t remember the other player in the question. Trust me when I say I’d rather be right in the advice I give out than in the advice I take myself.

Arian Foster(notes)? Didn’t have him on a single team. You must have me confused with someone else.

Looking for Monday Brunch in this space? For one week only, it’s in a different spot –join me over here. Now let’s hear about your Week 15 decisions gone awry. And if you want more of my off-the-cuff observations, follow me on Twitter.

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Honda, Misc. Auto Shows, India

Honda has announced plans to unveil a new small car concept at the 10th Auto Expo automobile show in New Delhi on January 5. Just last week, Toyota made almost the exact same announcement and both Japanese automakers are staying mum on any actual details.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Honda’s entry in the hotly-contested market of India is being referred to internally as the “New Small Concept,” and while it’s intended primarily for emerging markets (think: Tata Nano), the vehicle is being engineered so that it could be sold in other parts of the world.

Interestingly, in addition to the NSC, Honda will also use the Delhi Motor Show to show off its the concept version of its CR-Z hybrid (shown above), originally seen at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this year. With brochure images already circulating of the production CR-Z, we expect to see the for-sale version premiere as soon as next month’s Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: The Wall Street Journal – sub. req’d]

REPORT: Honda to premiere new small car concept at Delhi Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are many types of batteries. Primary (disposable) batteries (such as dry-cell and button batteries) are used once and discarded. Secondary (rechargeable) batteries (which include lithium-ion varieties) can be recharged and used repeatedly. Solar cells represent yet another type of battery. Conventionally, button batteries contain mercury to prevent the generation of hydrogen gas. However, the use of mercury is not without risks. The improper use or disposal of mercury-based batteries carries adverse risks for both the environment and human health. Yet, developing technology necessary to create mercury-free button batteries was an extremely difficult challenge. Sony’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact is a reflection of its unrelenting efforts to meet that challenge, and in 2004 it succeeded in developing the world’s first mercury-free silver oxide battery. In 2009, Sony achieved what was regarded as an even more difficult task: the development of technology leading to the world’s first mercury-free alkaline button battery.

Both silver oxide and alkaline batteries (which are the two main types of button batteries) have zinc anodes and an alkaline solution as the electrolyte. Even when the battery is not in use, the zinc in the anode is dissolved by a corrosive reaction with the electrolyte. This reaction also produces hydrogen gas. If hydrogen gas is allowed to build up inside the battery, the resulting internal pressure could cause the battery to swell and leak. Dry-cell batteries are generally large enough to have sufficient space for mechanical measures to deal with this hydrogen gas such as the provision of a safety valve. However, button batteries are simply too small to support such mechanical solutions and even minute amounts of hydrogen gas can cause swelling and leakage.

Mercury is widely known for its potential threat to the environment and human health. Such risks can result when improper disposal leads to mercury entering the food chain. Unfortunately, prior to technological advances, conventional button battery manufacturers had no alternative to mercury as a means to curb the build-up of hydrogen gas resulting from the corrosive reaction between mercury and zinc.

The European Battery Directive, which came into effect in 2008, strictly limits the use of mercury in batteries. Because of technical barriers to the development of mercury-free button batteries, button batteries were treated as a special case. As a result, manufacturers are still allowed to use mercury in limited amounts (less than 2%).

The development of mercury-free silver oxide batteries was announced by Sony in 2004. These batteries were created by developing three core technologies to increase the ability of the zinc to resist corrosion. These innovations dramatically reduced the amount of hydrogen gas produced.

1. Ten-fold improvement in corrosion resistance through use of high-performance zinc alloy in the anode
2. Doubling of corrosion resistance by adding anti-corrosion material to anode
3. Anti-corrosion treatment of collector to prevent electrolyte leakage and reduce zinc corrosion

Sony succeeded in developing a mercury-free battery by using these three unique technologies to achieve a dramatic reduction in hydrogen gas production. Sony also took advantage of the properties of the silver oxide used in the cathode, including its ability to absorb hydrogen gas. This means that even if hydrogen gas is produced, it will simply be absorbed by the silver oxide, making the new battery at least as safe as conventional batteries containing mercury.

The development of a mercury-free alkaline button battery was an even greater challenge, and was initially regarded as impossible in practical terms. Unlike silver oxide batteries, alkaline button batteries contain no substances capable of absorbing hydrogen gas. However, alkaline button batteries are cheaper than silver oxide batteries. Because they are widely used in portable consumer electronics products such as game consoles, toys and other items, they are frequently handled by both adults and children. As Sony began to develop a mercury-free alkaline button battery, its first priority was to ensure safety.

In a silver oxide battery, any hydrogen gas produced is absorbed by the silver oxide. Sony engineers believed it would be possible to develop a safe, mercury-free alkaline button battery if they could find the proper material to perform the same role. This led to intensive research and development efforts focusing on materials with a high capacity to absorb hydrogen gas. By adding a hydrogen-absorbing material to the cathode, and combining this with the three unique technologies developed for the mercury-free silver oxide battery, Sony succeeded in commercializing a mercury-free alkaline button battery that matched or surpassed batteries containing mercury in terms of both safety and performance.

Sony sells around 300 million alkaline button batteries and silver oxide batteries each year. The development of mercury-free batteries has the potential to reduce the amount of mercury used each year in these two types of batteries by approximately 470kg, or enough to fill approximately 68 clear plastic 500ml beverage bottles. Sony is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint via ongoing technological advances. Sony is also dedicated to eliminating all hazardous substances throughout the company’s various processes.

In a related note, check out this interview with Masatsugu Shiota, one of the engineers involved with the mercury-free battery effort.

A lemon glaze is one of the most popular ways to finish off a loaf of freshly baked gingerbread. Lemon makes a great contrast to all of the spices in gingerbread. It is bright and cuts right through those dark flavors – and even though the spices themselves are nice, it is much easier to taste them when you have something to compare them to.

Many gingerbreads are baked in a loaf pan or as a single-layer cake, but this one is a layer cake with a billowy lemon frosting to go with it. The cake is moist and spicy, with a fairly complex flavor thanks to a combination of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, ground black pepper and molasses. There is even a bit of lemon zest in the cake to help it tie in with the frosting. The cake is flavorful, but isn’t too heavy, so you won’t feel weighed down after a big slice of this.

I made a very light frosting to top off this cake. It is a meringue-based frosting made with egg whites, and has a consistency similar to that of marshmallow fluff, but smoother and less sticky. I added a lot – 1 tablespoon – of meyer lemon zest to infuse the lemon flavor into the frosting. Feel free to use regular lemons in place of the Meyer lemons, but expect to have a slightly stronger lemon flavor in the finished frosting. The cake can be prepared a day in advance and stored, well-wrapped, at room temperature. The entire cake can be frosted in advance, but I think that this light frosting is at its very best on the day it is made (even if you make it several hours before serving). A regular buttercream frosting with added lemon zest can be substituted if you want something a little bit faster that still has lemon flavor to it.

(more…)

by David Roberts

Before Copenhagen fades into memory I want to celebrate one of its lesser noted but more delightful chapters.

If you recall, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) was planning on rounding up some fellow senators and heading to Copenhagen as a “truth squad.” The “truth” he intended to impart to world leaders is that the U.S. Senate will never pass a climate bill.

You might think it’s an extraordinary event, a sitting legislator traveling abroad specifically and explicitly to undermine his country’s president in an international negotiation. But you see, Inhofe’s a Republican and IOKYR so there was never any particular outcry.

Thing is, Inhofe is a joke, nationally and internationally. No U.S. senator wanted to squander his or her credibility by traveling with Inhofe, so he ended up going alone. And when he got there, not a single government official from any nation was willing to appear with him, so he ended up speaking with a derisory coterie of reporters and … oh, just watch Rachel Maddow tell the story:

Sometimes life tosses you a bone, you know?

UPDATE: Just for kicks, here’s a forlorn Inhofe with a COP15 afro:

Spread the news on what the føck is going on in Copenhagen with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, or smoke signals.

Related Links:

Greenpeace Spain demands Denmark release its director

What happens now for the forests?

Copenhagen coal in the stocking?

Japan, Asia | Giant Buddhas

Although a large image of the Buddha has been located in Takaoka since at least 1221, the particular giant Buddha itself has been replaced many times. In 1745, a priest at the Gokurakuji temple carved a Great Buddha out of wood and painted it gold, but this particular Daibutsu was destined to burn, and then the next one burned, and the next one, and in 1900, a great fire completely destroyed the last wooden Daibutsu in Takaoka.

Construction on this current copper rendition began in 1907 and was completed in 1933. Built by Matsuki Sozaemon and local coppersmiths, the current statue took nearly 30 years to complete. Numerous repairs and renovations have been undertaken since its completion, and it seems the upkeep of the Takaoka Daibutsu is a continual struggle, but then, at least copper can’t burn.

Filed under: GM, Saab, Earnings/Financials, Spyker

Saab loyalists can keep their candles burning a wee bit longer as supercar manufacturer Spyker has extended the deadline of its final-final offer for the Swedish brand “until further notice.”

Spyker says in an all-too-brief statement (which you’ll find after the jump) that it has been in contact with General Motors today following the Dutch automaker’s announcement that it had that submitted a new offer that addressed 11 obstacles that had apparently previously stalled negotiations. The renewed offer was set to expire at 5pm Eastern today, but Spyker has seen fit to extend it.

Before backing out entirely and signaling its intent to wind down the struggling Saab brand, General Motors had set a deadline of December 31 to conclude its sale. No word on whether or not the Swedish government is involved in the talks, or if other parties (Mahindra?) may still be in the running. Stay tuned.

[Source: Spyker | Image: Torsten Silz/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading UPDATE: Spyker extends proposal to buy Saab from GM ‘until further notice’

UPDATE: Spyker extends proposal to buy Saab from GM ‘until further notice’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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