Blog

Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, GM

Word on the street is that the Auto Task Force was pushing hard for General Motors and Chrysler to to dump dealerships during bankruptcy. In all, some 2,150 dealers got the axe, reportedly saving the struggling Detroit automakers big bucks while helping to ensure that remaining dealers were healthier. But while the government’s Auto Task Force may have been the driving force that kicked dealers to the curb, the U.S. Congress, in an effort led by Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), is looking to put those same dealers (read: donors) back in business.

The $446 billion spending bill President Obama signed earlier this week contains new legislation requiring GM and Chrysler to send out letters to every rejected dealer informing them of their rights to arbitration. Dealers interested in filing arbitration will then have 40 days to submit their intention to file. From there, arbitration must be completed within six months. Automotive News reports that the new law is substantially more dealer-friendly than the old law, and requires GM and Chrysler to spell out exactly why each dealership contract was terminated.

In an earlier report, Automotive News reported that it could cost dealers up to $12,000 in arbitration filing fees and up to $100,000 in arbitration depending on the complexity of the case.

[Source: Automotive News sub. req’d | Image: Spencer Platt/Getty]

Obama bill signing enacts arbitration process for rejected GM, Chrysler dealers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It went from Copenhagen to “Hopenhagen” to in the end “Brokenhagen”.


The UN climate change conference in Copenhagen is still going on after world leaders jetted in over the past few days and reached a “Copenhagen Accord” that was agreed by the US, China, South Africa and India, however as early as this morning it is still unclear which other countries are willing to support and sign it.


The last minute push certainly is looking more like the “mother of all photo-op’s” than a real honest effort to broker a deal. If this really is the single most important conference for the future of the globe, then certainly you would think leaders of the world would have spent more time at the conference, and not take off early worrying about “the weather” back in Washington.


“It is great that a small group of leaders gets together and tries to advance the process. But ultimately the way things work here is it has to be acceptable to every country” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. “If this makes it through the meeting in a few hours, then I see it as a modest success. We could have achieved more” he added.


The so called Copenhagen Accord confirms the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It sets a maximum of two degrees Celsius average global temperature rise and states that a review by 2016 should consider if it will be necessary to limit warming to 1.5 degree Celsius.



On financing the accord states developed countries commit collectively to providing 30 billion US dollars in new additional funding for developing countries for the 2010-2012 period. It also says developed countries support a “goal of mobilizing jointly 100 billion dollars a year” by 2020 from a variety of forces.


Criticism for the accord was quick to come in. Greenpeace criticized the accord for not having “targets for carbon cuts and no agreement on a legally binding treaty”. Oxfam International called the deal “a triumph of spin over substance. It recognizes the need to keep warming below two degrees, but does not commit to do so. It kicks back the decisions on emissions cuts and fudges the issue of climate cash”.


Talks continue, but look for more promises to meet, than any substantial agreement.

share:

related.posts:

1. Copenhagen Climate Conference: Day 10
2. Copenhagen Day 2 – Climate Change Conference in Denmark
3. Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: Nearing The End

Randall Radic–

His name was Stjepan Radic.  He was my great grandfather and the leader of the Croatian Peasant Party (CPP).

June 20, 1928.  During the assembly of parliament, Punisa Racic, a representative of the Serbian People’s Radical Party, gave an inflammatory speech.  His words evoked angry responses from the assembled members.  Many of who rose, made violent gestures, and shouted insults.  Stjepan, however, sat like an insect, watching and listening, but making no reply. 

Ivan Pernar, a member of the Peasant-Democratic Coalition, furious, rose and shouted at Punisa Racic, “Thou plundered beys!”  Translation:  ‘You made a deal with the rich, elite intellectuals.  Traitor!’  Pulling a revolver from his jacket, Punisa Racic shot Pernar.  Then, swinging his weapon, shot Stjepan and three other CPP representatives.  He would have shot more, but he ran out of bullets. 

Everyone screamed and shouted.  Five men lay dead or wounded.  Blood had sprayed everywhere.  A crimson pool formed beneath my great grandfather, who, upon being shot, had toppled from his chair to the floor.  At first, Stjepan was assumed to be dead. 

The police arrived.  They summoned the military in case further violence broke out.  Ambulances arrived outside the building.  Finally, a doctor came.  After closer examination by the doctor, Stjepan was discovered to still be alive.  Shot in the stomach, his condition was critical.  Still conscious, he was carried to the hospital, where the surgeons decided they could do nothing for him.  He was released to return home. 

There, he died.

            100,00 peasants, from all parts of the Balkans, attended his funeral.  Stjepan Radic

He had lived 57 years, and is now a permanent resident of Mirogoj Monumental Cemetery in Zabreb, Croatia.

My great grandfather, Stjepan Radic, has been accused of being a demagogue, a smooth operator, an opportunist, ready to switch sides whenever it might serve his self-interest.  And that is all true.  He chummied up to liberals, Serbs, Muslims and Communists.  He adopted the flexible Jesuit philosophy “that the end justifies the means.”  And Stjepan’s end was an independent Croatian nation.

He was guilty of opportunism.  For he dreamed of a free, sovereign Croatia governed by Croatians.  He was also guilty of bigotry because he despised the Serbs and their regime.  Guilty, too, of political collaboration. 

But he was not guilty of silence in the face of repression, or of apathy or of cowardice.  In a strict, technical sense, I would suggest, he was true to his dream – the dream of becoming a free Croat.

Imprisoned more than once for his desire, in the end he died for it.  Political assassination. 

Ultimately, though, his dream became reality.  For there now stands, since 1991, a free and independent Croatia – a country born out of guns, violence and blood.

Randall Radic is a former Old Catholic priest. After a midlife crisis, he spent time behind bars. Today, he has emerged a changed man.  As the author of  Gone To Hell: True Crimes of America’s Clergy (ECW Press/ Oct 2009), Radic aims to warn the public of the sins committed behind the walls of churches every day.  Randall Radic is also author of A Priest in Hell: Gangs, Murderers and Snitching in a California Jail.

Rastafarianism: Attractive To Men, Boasts 600K To 1 Million Members

Book Review: Gone To Hell>>Crime Cost In Catholic Church To Reach $65 Billion By 2025

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

 

Chowder is different things to different people. Some insist that the word “clam” come before it or that potatoes be involved, some like a creamy broth (New England-style) and some like a broth flavored with tomatoes (Manhattan-style). We prefer the broad definition found in most culinary dictionaries that declares chowder to be “any thick soup containing chunks of food.”

The Arctic Char (or Wild Salmon) Chowder recipe sent in by Mike Cheliak for the Primal Blueprint Cookbook Challenge meets this definition and will undoubtedly unite both lovers of creamy broths and tomato based broths. Filled with generous chunks of fish and tomatoes, it is chowder that will satisfy your hunger and your need for Omega 3s and powerful antioxidants like lycopene. The bit of cream added at the end provides a delicious, rich texture but is entirely optional, as the chowder is just as flavorful without it.

Mike suggests using wild Arctic Char for this chowder, a fish that is related to both trout and salmon in looks and flavor. Its natural habitat is the icy waters of the ocean and higher altitude lakes in North America and Europe.

Unless you’re lucky enough to be Mike and have a brother who brings home wild-caught Arctic Char from his station in Canada’s Arctic North, the Arctic Char you’ll buy in a store is most likely farmed. Before you write off farmed Arctic Char completely, consider that two trusted sources, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Environmental Defense Fund list Arctic Char as a best choice for seafood consumption. It is a fish that provides high amounts of Omega-3s and is farmed in an ecologically responsible way, which minimizes contaminants. However, if you decide that farmed Arctic Char isn’t for you, or you can’t find it in your local seafood department, wild-caught Alaskan salmon is an even better choice and equally delicious in this chowder.

With a few simple steps – chop up vegetables, add canned tomatoes, broth and fish – you’ll have a pot simmering on your stove that is filled with rich flavors. We think you’ll be hard-pressed to find a chowder lover who doesn’t fall in love with this variation on a comforting classic.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds Arctic Char (or wild salmon). Thicker fillets are easier to cut into cubes.
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth
• 28-ounce can crushed tomato (no salt added)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 whole bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

Make sure all bones are removed from the fish and typically for chowder, it’s best to also remove the skin. You can do this by using the tip of a sharp knife to separate the meat from the skin, or ask to have it done for you when you buy the fish. Cut the fish into 3/4 inch cubes and salt and pepper lightly.

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fish and cream. Mix to incorporate cream and then simmer, covered or uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf. Adjust the seasoning if needed and if you have any fresh herbs on hand (tarragon or thyme are especially good) add a bit for extra flavor.

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

Related posts:

1. Primal Jambalaya
2. Spice it Up: Perfectly Primal Pepper Recipes
3. Shepherd’s Pie

Por Raúl Pierri y Daniela Estrada

COPENHAGUE (IPS/TerraViva)  La COP-15 demostró ser un “espectacular fracaso en sus propios términos”, pero la sociedad civil tuvo algunos “éxitos”, como imponer temas en la agenda climática y hacer oír más fuerte la voz el Sur.

Así evaluaron activistas sus esfuerzos al cierre de la COP-15 (15 Conferencia de las Partes de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático), que todavía sesionaba agónicamente el sábado.

Excluidos del Bella Center, sede de las conversaciones oficiales, y soportando la represión contra algunas de las numerosas manifestaciones en la capital danesa, representantes de la sociedad civil, reunidos en forma paralela en Copenhague en el Klimaforum, destacaron victorias en estas dos semanas.

“A pesar de la falta de transparencia, el movimiento social ha permitido hacer visible las posturas más consistentes con la justicia climática, que nosotros la concebimos como la única forma de transitar hacia un mundo sustentable”, dijo a TerraViva Eduardo Geisen, coordinador para América Latina y el Caribe del Programa de Justicia Climática y Energía de Amigos de la Tierra Internacional.

Además,“hemos dado un vital apoyo para que los países en desarrollo se hayan mantenido unidos frente a las exigencias del mundo industrializado y no hayan cedido a las presiones que en algunos casos rayaron en lo colonialista”, añadió.

Las dos semanas de actividades en el Klimaforum fueron selladas el viernes con un espectáculo artístico y el traspaso de la organización de la próxima cumbre paralela, en 2010, a representantes de México y América Latina.

“El sentimiento generalizado es que lo que no se logró en el Bella Center se logró en el Klimaforum”, en términos de sintonía de contenidos y construcción de alianzas, resumió Giesen.

Por su parte, la periodista e investigadora canadiense Naomi Klein llamó a los activistas a no desanimarse.

“Es realmente importante asegurarnos de que no nos vayamos de esta reunión desalentados”, afirmó.

El hecho de que los negociadores en el Bella Center no logren un acuerdo dentro de sus propias concepciones de cómo resolver el problema demuestra que se trata de un modelo fallido, sostuvo.

“Es muy importante contar una historia diferente de lo que ocurrió en Copenhague. La historia debe ser que su modelo demuestra ser un espectacular fracaso incluso en sus propios términos”, afirmó.

“Y porque su modelo fracasó, ahora es nuestro turno. Por tanto, no se permitan deprimirse”, añadió.

Para Klein, todo el proceso está fallido por su énfasis en el mercado de carbono y otros mecanismos de carácter económico.

“El discurso sobre cambio climático ha sido asaltado por tecnócratas… y se ha vuelto extremadamente exclusivo. Esto es de hecho muy similar a las discusiones sobre comercio hace una década, donde todo eran acrónimos, todo eran conversaciones increíblemente largas e impenetrables”, dijo.

“Mucha gente pensaba: no puedo ser parte de la discusión, no tengo un título en economía”, agregó.

La canadiense subrayó la necesidad de rechazar “el modelo” en que se manejan las negociaciones en el marco de la Convención.

“Debemos rechazar cualquier medida que permita a los países que crearon el problema evadir su responsabilidad: deben recortar sus emisiones”, enfatizó.

Por su parte, Giesen repudió a organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) internacionales que “siguen el discurso” de los países del Norte, y apoyan mecanismos que tienen efectos contraproducentes.

“Nosotros somos ONG que trabajamos con las comunidades por la justicia ambiental. No nos hemos convertido en empresas consultoras que buscamos financiarnos de cualquier modo, como lo están haciendo algunas ONG multinacionales, que han visto en el mercado de carbono una forma de adquirir mucho dinero. Han entrado en el orden del capitalismo”, afirmó.

Mientras, Klein destacó los “éxitos” de las últimas dos semanas.

“El mundo rico ya no puede argüir no saber lo que implica dejar de actuar. Las voces del Sur, el costo de millones de vidas, la desaparición de países y culturas… todo eso ha aterrizado en la agenda”, indicó.

Cambiando el sistema

“Cambiemos el sistema, no el clima”, es el título de la declaración final del Klimaforum, firmada por unas 360 organizaciones de todo el mundo.

Preparado desde hace meses y discutido durante la semana pasada en la capital danesa, el documento de seis puntos plantea que “hay soluciones a la crisis del clima”.

“Lo que necesitan los pueblos y el planeta es una transición justa y sostenible de nuestras sociedades a un modelo que garantice el derecho a la vida y la dignidad de todas las personas, y entregue un planeta más fértil y vidas más plenas a las generaciones presentes y futuras”, señala.

Los firmantes llamaron a los gobiernos a abandonar los combustibles fósiles en los próximos 30 años, con metas específicas para cada período quinquenal.

También exigieron una reducción inmediata de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero de los países industrializados de 40 por ciento respecto de 1990 para 2020, así como el reconocimiento y pago de la deuda generada por el consumo excesivo del espacio atmosférico y los efectos sobre las poblaciones afectadas.

El texto rechaza las “falsas y peligrosas soluciones orientadas al mercado”, como la energía nuclear, los agrocombustibles, la captura y almacenamiento de carbono, los Mecanismos de Desarrollo Limpio, el carbón vegetal, los transgénicos denominados “climate ready” y la iniciativa REDD (Reducción de Emisiones de Carbono causadas por la Deforestación y la Degradación de los Bosques).

Las “soluciones reales” estarían basadas en el “uso seguro, limpio, renovable y sostenible de los recursos naturales, y la transición a la soberanía alimentaria, energética, sobre la tierra y las aguas”.

También propusieron un impuesto equitativo a las emisiones de dióxido de carbono, en lugar del régimen de cuotas comerciables, y el reemplazo de los organismos financieros multilaterales, como el Banco Mundial y el Fondo Monetario Internacional, por instituciones “equitativas y democráticas”.

Asimismo, buscan la creación de un mecanismo que controlelas operaciones de las empresas trasnacionales.

“Independientemente de los resultados de la Cumbre de Copenhague sobre el Cambio Climático, hay una necesidad urgente de construir un movimiento mundial de movimientos que trabajen a largo plazo a favor de una transición sostenible para nuestras sociedades”, concluyeron.

Share/Save

Quelques nouvelles vues de la remplaçante de l’Alfa 147,la Giulietta,publiées par Alfa Romeo sur le nouveau site consacré à la belle compacte Milanaise.

Les premières photos officielles,présentées la semaine dernière ne la montraient qu’en blanc,un choix qui se discute.Qu’importe,la voici qui revient en rouge.Pas de vue globale,mais plusieurs parties,que voici:

 Une nouvelle photo de l’intérieur également:

Toujours pas de photos du tableau de bord,évidemment,puisque Sergio Marchionne,monté à bord d’un exemplaire de la voiture peu avant sa présentation,a demandé quelques modifications de détails pour des raisons de qualité perçue.Pour mémoire voici les illustrations qui circulaient il y a quelques mois et dont on voit bien qu’elles sont très proches de la réalité,excepté pour les contre-portes:

 

Pas grand chose de plus sur ce site,pour l’instant,il se développera sûrement à mesure que la marque « teasera » autour de son nouveau bébé.Je vous laisse découvrir le site (ici),vous y trouverez en plus une photo sans intérêt du 1750TBI,que je vous épargne,par charité pour les chromes magnifiques du V6 Arese.

D’une manière générale,la Giulietta semble bien calibrée pour sa cible.Alfa Romeo,si elle peine à s’imposer plus haut en gamme,est par contre parfaitement légitime maintenant sur le segment compacte premium.Il est toujours très difficile de juger une voiture en photos,et avec le recul on apprend à s’abstenir quelque peu,de peur de dire de grosses bêtises,qu’on regrette ensuite.Il faut donc attendre de voir en vrai.C’est d’autant plus vrai ici que la voiture semble très travaillée au niveau des lignes,ce qui ne ressort pas forcément en photo.

Deux remarques tout de même.La première concernant les feux arrière.Ceux-ci semblent très travaillés,pour ne pas dire alambiqués,et la signature visuelle est très particulière (voir ci-dessous également).De nuit,vous ne risquerez pas de confondre la Giulietta qui vous précède avec une autre voiture.Pas très convaincant en photo,à voir en vrai donc.La seconde concerne la face avant.Il y a eu deux phases ces dernières années dans le design Alfa.La phase Brera,suivant la sortie du concept éponyme en 2002 est maintenant refermée,et nous sommes depuis l’an dernier et l’arrivée de la MiTo dans la phase 8C.Alors pas question ici de mettre en doute la beauté de la 8C évidemment.Mais pas sur non plus que la vue de plein avant de celle-ci soit la plus réussie.Singer ses feux en les déclinant sur tous les modèles à sortir n’est peut-être pas la meilleure idée.Bien entendu,un design doit se renouveler,mais il est sur que si quelquechose empêche les voitures actuelles de se vendre correctement,ce n’est certainement pas leur face avant,inspirée de la Brera concept.Une évolution aussi radicale était-elle nécessaire?Ces feux moins expressifs sont-ils aussi « Alfa » que ceux des voitures actuelles?Transposer le look 8c sur tous les modèles est-il une bonne idée?A chacun de se faire son idée…

Quoi qu’il en soit,la Giulietta semble être une voiture magnifique,et si techniquement le ramage se rapporte au plumage,ça devrait bien se passer pour elle.C’est tout le mal qu’on lui souhaite!

Dernière minute: Les photos de l’intérieur ici!

(Rappelons qu’Alfa est l’objet du dossier de la semaine,que vous retrouverez dans le Slideshow à l’accueil et dans les notes concernant « Alfa vs Lancia« )

 Nouveau: pour profiter facilement et rapidement des notifications de nouveautés sur le site,pensez à vous abonner via Twitter.Chaque modification,nouvel article ou nouvelle vidéo sur notre chaîne Youtube,fait l’objet d’un Tweet immédiat!

Suzy Cohen R.Ph.–

Dear Readers,

Since this column prints during the holiday season, I’ve decided to write about the greatest gift we an give, love. Experiencing love can make you feel better because it causes you to release endorphins. In a day and age where prescribed anti-depressants are top-selling drugs, a little love can go a long way. 

If you think about it, hearing “I love you” is important but it really must be supported with actions. For example, when you arrive home, your dog shows you love at the front door. It licks you, jumps all over you and wags its tail so hard it could break a hip. It never says the word love, but is there any doubt in your mind how much you are loved by your pet? Likewise, your dog could care less if you say “I love you” a thousand times because this feeling is demonstrated when you give it a pat, a belly scratch or a doggie bone. Do you see now that love has to be supported by actions in order for the feeling to be conveyed? 

When you experience loving thoughts, feelings or memories, your heart rate and breathing patterns improve. Brain waves deepen and intensify too, and the positive effects of relaxation, meditation and focused positive thinking has been well studied.  For sure, feeling loved by those around me gives me longer-lasting euphoria than any drug I can think of.

Most of us believe that we act kind and loving throughout the day, but do we? Take notice of your own attitude while you’re driving, shopping, or checking out. Some relatives or friends end their phone call or visit saying “love you” yet they show little interest or compassion for your life. Sometimes they only act nice when they need something. Do these people honestly love you, or do they just say they do? Actions speak louder than words.

Let’s express more kindness to people instead of behaving as if we are the stars of our own movie and everyone else is just an extra. If we didn’t use the word for a day, but relied solely on our behavior, would people walk away from us feeling loved? Some might.  Recently, I gave a hand-made gift to a person who works at a local shop. She always has goodness emanating from her when I check out. My gesture was to say thank you for being such a beautiful soul though I never said that, nor did I say I loved her. She became teary-eyed and hugged me long and hard. She may have received the present, but I got the gift. The story of your life eventually gets summarized to a dash between two very important dates. Make that dash matter because it is what everyone will remember about you.  So what is my prescription for you? Just love.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any products mentioned or information within this column is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Suzy Cohen, R. Ph., is a licensed pharmacist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience. The author of The 24-Hour Pharmacist (HarperCollins, July ’07) and Drug Muggers; she is “America’s Most Trusted Pharmacist,” and has helped millions of patients in various clinical settings, such as retail, hospital, nursing home pharmacies, and through her nationally syndicated column, “Dear Pharmacist.” A former spokesperson for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Suzy Cohen is a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine, The Association of Natural Medicine Pharmacists and The American Pharmacists Association. You can subscribe to Suzy’s free weekly newsletter or ask her a question at her DearPharmacist website.

A Pharmacist’s Tips for Cold and H1N1 Flu Survival

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.

 

Eariler this year the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) passed a recommendation for “Solving the Problem of Mislabeled Organic Personal Care Products.” The recommendation urges the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to make sure that any use of the word “organic” on a personal care product is backed up by third-party certification to USDA organic standards.

Why the fuss?

Thus far, products for your body, i.e. cosmetics, shampoo, lotion, and so on, have not been regulated in any sort of a substantial way. A body care item can claim to be organic, with no viable proof to back it up. Unless a product is labeled with the USDA Organic seal, you can’t, as a consumer, be sure if the product is really organic. The Organic Consumer Association is one organization working on the issue, and is helping to spread the word to consumers about real vs. fake organics.

Their website has a list of current “fakers” or products with no organic seal to back them up, even though some of their products may be labeled organic. The list of fakers includes…

Amazon Organics, Avalon Organics, Desert Essence Organics, Earth’s Best Organic, Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Head Organics, JASON Pure Natural and Organic, Nature’s Gate Organics, Organics by Noah’s Naturals

How to get involved:

• Only buy organic body care products that can back up their claims.
• There are plenty of companies who make natural, chemical-free, and organic body care products who are not labeled by the USDA, if you’re going to use a product not labeled, look into the company background before you buy and find out about their policies, regulations, and ethics.
• Sign on for the current OCA ACTION ALERT: Tell the USDA to Stop Organic Body Care Fraud!
• Learn which body care products are actually true organics.
• Make body care products yourself so you know what’s in them.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Stop Organic Body Care Fraud

The HTC HD2 has been confirmed to be coming to Telstra in the next few weeks, and to celebrate Microsoft Australia is giving away 5 HTC HD2’s. 

To enter, and perfect for the twitter generation, one simply need to tell Microsoft in 25 words or less how the HTC HD2 will make your life better.

Enter at Microsoft here.

Via istartedsomething.com

Mortgage companies are apparently convinced the housing slump is over. 

At this rate, we’ll be back to no-money-down mortgages with three-year-teaser rates by spring.

Ruth Simon, WSJ: Some mortgage insurers and lenders are beginning to relax their down-payment requirements, in a sign of increased confidence in the housing market.

The changes, which are being done on a market-by-market basis, mean buyers in some parts of the country can now borrow 95% instead of 90% of a property’s value. Until recently, mortgage companies had tighter standards for these markets because of falling home prices.

“We are feeling better about the economic condition of the marketplace,” said Michael Zimmerman, senior vice president of investor relations at mortgage insurer MGIC Insurance Corp. Borrowers who want to finance more than 80% of a home’s value must typically purchase mortgage insurance.

Earlier this month, MGIC removed New Orleans, Dover, Del., Akron, Ohio, and four other areas in Ohio from its list of restricted markets. The moves followed the company’s decision in September to loosen restrictions on 11 markets, including Denver and St. Louis.

Read the whole thing >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Deutsche Bank: Housing Still Has 10% To Fall
• Ken Rogoff: Housing, Unemployment Will Get Worse Before They Get Better
• California Housing Market Continues To Recover, Befuddling Bears

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

According to Automotive News, three of Toyota’s group vice presidents will be leaving the company in less than sixty days. Steve Sturm, 28 years with the company, oversaw strategic research and planning for the Americas as well as corporate communications. Dave Danzer is a 24-year veteran and headed strategic and product planning. Environmental and public affairs were headed by Irv Miller, who’s been a Toyota associate for 29 years.

Long-tenured group VPs don’t generally just get up and leave, especially not in unison, so we assume their departures are not a surprise inside the company. Still, we imagine it’s a blow, and there’s probably more than one Toyota higher-up singing, “You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille…”

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

REPORT: Trio of top Toyota execs to retire originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Are you going to be shopping today?

If you live anywhere on the East Coast, the answer is probably not. It’s likely too late for most online shopping to reach you by Christmas on Thursday. And there’s that monster blizzard that is working its way up the East Coast.

Retail sales will certainly suffer this weekend. Usually today is one of the largest shopping days before Christmas, which is why it is sometimes called “Super Saturday.” A storm like this one, hitting major population centers all over the East Coast, will have a major impact on shopping behavior.

Although the East Coast is a geographically narrow stretch of the United States, it is filled with shopping malls and big box retailers. Indeed, stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s, Walmart, and Toys R Us typically do as many as 60% of their sales on Super Saturday today. So even though last year’s pre-Christmas storms covered a bigger portion of the country, this year’s storm could have an outsized impact on overall sales.

“When you lose a day of sales between now and Dec. 25, you don’t make it up,” Stifel Nicolaus analyst Richard Jaffe told the Associated Press. “If you’re closed for business on Saturday, you’re not going to do twice the business on Sunday.”

Even if major storms don’t materialize, forecasts could keep shoppers home. “When the radio says, ‘Stay tuned, don’t leave your house, this is the storm of ’09,’” that’s bad for business, he said.

Strapped local budgets may also make things worse. Many localities will have fewer plows on the road this year, and fewer police directing traffic.

Join the conversation about this story »

Filed under: Bentley, Design/Style

Swiss firm Zai makes high-zoot skis. When the company teamed up with Bentley, the result was an even higher-zoot ski kit called Zai Supersports, composed of handmade skis and poles, and a ski bag.

The skis themselves feature a special carbon fiber material called “Zaiìra” on top, with a natural rubber core, chromium-steel-infused carbon fiber for the twisty bits, and Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites to round out your lust for exotic materials. The poles use the ExoGrid tech usually associated with the world of golf clubs.

There will only be 250 pairs made, and because you knew they wouldn’t be cheap you won’t be surprised by the $9,800 purchase price. Get all the facts in the press release after the jump, and pretty pictures in the high-res gallery below.

[Source: Zai]

Continue reading Bentley and Zai launch Supersport skis

Bentley and Zai launch Supersport skis originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Other stories we’ve been reading:

Uganda outlaws female circumcision. A new polio vaccine is going to be used in Afghanistan. Researchers have developed an artificial clotting agent to help stop massive bleeding.

Playground injuries aren’t about fall – it’s the landing. Fifty million shades have been recalled for strangulation risk. Pregnancy spacing matters in babies’ health and STDs are common among sexually active teen girls in cities.

The CDC has a healthy version of the song The 12 Days of Christmas. Watch NYC’s latest anti-soda ad.

Dollar bulls swamped the dollar-bullish exchange traded fund ‘UUP’ on Friday.

WSJ: Strong demand for instruments that take bullish positions on the dollar prompted one such exchange-traded fund to be halted on Friday, after it ran out of shares.

“The fund issued all of the remaining shares to its authorized participants,” said DB Commodity Services, which offers the ETF, in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The PowerShares DB U.S. Dollar Index Bullish Fund is often referred to by its symbol, UUP.

…

DB Commodity Services, which offers the U.S. Dollar Index Bullish Fund, said in a prepared statement Friday that it filed on Dec. 8 to create 240 million additional shares of UUP “to manage exceptional investor demand.”

The surprising thing is that UUP hasn’t even rallied that much yet. These investors must be expecting a massive dollar move ahead, given how frenzied they have become. Check out the huge spike in volume since October::

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• This Deflation Is Why The Dollar Can Rally A Lot
• How To Hate The Dollar And Short The Gold Hype At The Same Time
• Bernanke: The Dollar Carry Trade Bubble Is Only A Problem If The Economy Gets Weak Again

2009 is coming to a close so what better time than to release all manner of interesting and exciting statistics and tops for all the family to enjoy. Symantec certainly thinks so and better yet, it’s tying in some marketing material for good measure. The company has released the top 100 searches for 2009 by kids, as measured by its very own OnlineFamily.Norton app for concerned parents with busy lives. It’s not the first one this year though, so it should be interesting to see how things evolved, if indeed they have.

Surprise, surprise, things haven’t changed that much since summer, but a few of the top terms have switched positions. Coming in at number two and the biggest search term of 2009 as determined by Symantec is “YouTube,” Google’s hugely popular video site, which is certainly replacing TV for the younger set. The second most searched term was “Google,” which it makes as little sense as it did the first time the results were released.

You’d expect some kids to search for Google, maybe even enough to make it to the top 100, but certainly not the second spot. Even if you account for searches in the browser’s search boxes and the searches on other search engines which may be the homepage, Yahoo has this great habit of taking over people’s homepages for example, it still couldn’t possibly … (read more)

Now its safe to say most of us will never get to hold a fashion phone like the Samsung Giorgio Armani B7620 Windows Mobile smartphone.  Mobilized was luckier, and in this 9 minute video gives the device a good going over.

Calling the device solid and smooth, he appeared pretty impressed by the device.

Read more at Mobilyz here.

GABA Calm combines three of the main inhibitory neurotransmitters, plus N-acytyl L-tyrosine, a precursor of norepinephrine The sublingual form is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, via the blood vessels under the tongue and cheeks, allowing for quick entry into the system.