NYT Gives Rave Review to Ford Fusion
The Ford Fusion continues to rack up positive press. The review linked below is from the New York Times (free registration required), a forum that tends to be a little pretentious about cars.
2006 Ford Fusion: Honesty May Be the Best Policy - New York Times
Monday, October 31, 2005
The Car Connection - Oil For Food Scandal Hits Automakers - Car companies among those paying bribes to former Hussein regime.
Daimler Chrysler implicated in Iraq Oil for Food Scandal
The Car Connection - Oil For Food Scandal Hits Automakers - Car companies among those paying bribes to former Hussein regime.
The Car Connection - Oil For Food Scandal Hits Automakers - Car companies among those paying bribes to former Hussein regime.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
StormBirds Project Update
ME-262 Project Update
For about as long as I've had this blog going, I've been posting occasional updates on the Stormbirds project. This project involves building brand new Me-262 jet fighters from the ground up to serve the warbirds market. In case you didn't realize, a restored P-51 Mustang goes for over a million dollars now. (If you would have been around with some cash in 1946, you could have had one for under $5,000.00. Frank Tallman, a Hollywood pilot and stunt coordinator, was said to have bought hundreds of warbirds right after the war, and he made a lot of money doing so. Apparently the planes came with full tanks of gas, and the high-octane aviation fuel could offset a large portion of the purchase price.)
Back to the 262s. It's taken years, but this group has built 3 planes now, at least two have flown. Deliveries are about to start. The new construction planes have higher performance than the originals. The biggest deviation from the original design: they put modern engines in replicas of the original nacelles. The modern engines are smaller, so they don't disrupt the lines of the aircraft. I've read various statistics regarding the overhaul requirements of the original engines: a complete tear-down overhaul in 8-25 hours of flight time. It won't be hard for the modern engines to beat that reliability.
For about as long as I've had this blog going, I've been posting occasional updates on the Stormbirds project. This project involves building brand new Me-262 jet fighters from the ground up to serve the warbirds market. In case you didn't realize, a restored P-51 Mustang goes for over a million dollars now. (If you would have been around with some cash in 1946, you could have had one for under $5,000.00. Frank Tallman, a Hollywood pilot and stunt coordinator, was said to have bought hundreds of warbirds right after the war, and he made a lot of money doing so. Apparently the planes came with full tanks of gas, and the high-octane aviation fuel could offset a large portion of the purchase price.)
Back to the 262s. It's taken years, but this group has built 3 planes now, at least two have flown. Deliveries are about to start. The new construction planes have higher performance than the originals. The biggest deviation from the original design: they put modern engines in replicas of the original nacelles. The modern engines are smaller, so they don't disrupt the lines of the aircraft. I've read various statistics regarding the overhaul requirements of the original engines: a complete tear-down overhaul in 8-25 hours of flight time. It won't be hard for the modern engines to beat that reliability.
Ghost Towns | Pictures of ghost towns in Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico | Ghost Town Gallery
Western Ghost Towns
In the spirit of Halloween, I'm posting a link to a well done site that documents ghost towns. I was surprised at how many there were. The site claims 1300 pictures from 174 towns.
Ghost Towns | Pictures of ghost towns in Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico | Ghost Town Gallery
In the spirit of Halloween, I'm posting a link to a well done site that documents ghost towns. I was surprised at how many there were. The site claims 1300 pictures from 174 towns.
Ghost Towns | Pictures of ghost towns in Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico | Ghost Town Gallery
TCC Confidential ? Blog Archive ? Ford GTX1 Charges Ahead at SEMA
Ford GTX1 Pic
Just when you thought Ford couldn't make a car any cooler than the Ford GT, they unveil the GTX1, a topless version.
TCC Confidential ? Blog Archive ? Ford GTX1 Charges Ahead at SEMA
Just when you thought Ford couldn't make a car any cooler than the Ford GT, they unveil the GTX1, a topless version.
TCC Confidential ? Blog Archive ? Ford GTX1 Charges Ahead at SEMA
European minivan options including the Chrysler Voyager
a 65 mpg Minivan?
If you believe a post at www.allpar.com, the European model Chrysler Voyager with the 2.5 liter turbo-diesel engine returned a real world 65 mpg.
European minivan options including the Chrysler Voyager
If you believe a post at www.allpar.com, the European model Chrysler Voyager with the 2.5 liter turbo-diesel engine returned a real world 65 mpg.
European minivan options including the Chrysler Voyager
Opel.de | Neuer Zafira | Filme
The Opel Zafira - For when you want to drop a car out of a perfectly good airplane
I wrote this past summer about an Opel Zafira advertisement where the car is dropped out of an airplane, and skydivers crawl in while the car is in mid-air. I finally found the ad. Here's a link to the ad. It's in German.
Opel.de | Neuer Zafira | Filme
I wrote this past summer about an Opel Zafira advertisement where the car is dropped out of an airplane, and skydivers crawl in while the car is in mid-air. I finally found the ad. Here's a link to the ad. It's in German.
Opel.de | Neuer Zafira | Filme
The Orange Man Project
Can Carrots Turn You Orange?
Count on the web to answer life's eternal question. One bored man sought his answer and is now on a quest. I haven't looked at this whole site. The little bit I poked around suggest that he tells a little bit more about his life than i really want to to know about. (Side Note: although there is no true rhyme for "orange", the word "deranged" now pops into my head as being pretty close.
The Orange Man Project
Count on the web to answer life's eternal question. One bored man sought his answer and is now on a quest. I haven't looked at this whole site. The little bit I poked around suggest that he tells a little bit more about his life than i really want to to know about. (Side Note: although there is no true rhyme for "orange", the word "deranged" now pops into my head as being pretty close.
The Orange Man Project
Friday, October 28, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
How To Complain about your Wireless Service
Complaint and Billing Dispute Addresses for Cellular Phone Companies
If you look at your cell phone bill, and even on your carrier's website, you will seldom see an actual address to which you can address your complaints and billing disputes. I found this list on the Consumers Union site.
How To Complain about your Wireless Service
If you look at your cell phone bill, and even on your carrier's website, you will seldom see an actual address to which you can address your complaints and billing disputes. I found this list on the Consumers Union site.
How To Complain about your Wireless Service
Harriet Miers withdrawal letter - The Changing Court - MSNBC.com
Harriet Miers Sends Withdrawal Letter
In this Post: My Exclusive Pick for the Next Supreme Court Justice.
With Harriet Out, how about Ozzy? I'm talking Ozzy Osborne. No, I'm serious. Let's say that you've got a case where there's a political imperative to write an opinion that is completely unintelligible, like Bush vs. Gore. Who better than Ozzy Osborne? At first blush, you'd think the conservatives would balk at a guy who's blown out is brain on drugs, but look at it this way, if you put a pen in his hand and tell him to sign an opinion, he's probably going to do it. Not only that, but when it comes to evicerating the Endangered Species Act, do you have a better bet than a guy who bites the heads off bats?
Harriet Miers withdrawal letter - The Changing Court - MSNBC.com
In this Post: My Exclusive Pick for the Next Supreme Court Justice.
With Harriet Out, how about Ozzy? I'm talking Ozzy Osborne. No, I'm serious. Let's say that you've got a case where there's a political imperative to write an opinion that is completely unintelligible, like Bush vs. Gore. Who better than Ozzy Osborne? At first blush, you'd think the conservatives would balk at a guy who's blown out is brain on drugs, but look at it this way, if you put a pen in his hand and tell him to sign an opinion, he's probably going to do it. Not only that, but when it comes to evicerating the Endangered Species Act, do you have a better bet than a guy who bites the heads off bats?
Harriet Miers withdrawal letter - The Changing Court - MSNBC.com
NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR HOF'S BLOG
New E-MAIL Address for HOF'S BLOG
I just set up a new e-mail address for AFSCME 3357-Hof's Blog. I'm going to rely on the spam filter that Yahoo uses. I never published an e-mail address in the blog before, but Yahoo's spam control is pretty good, much better than what we have at work. If you would like to send me Blog-related e-mail, please feel free. I'm not planning on checking it every day, so if you know me, please use my regular home and work e-mail addresses where and when appropriate. The new e-mail address is
hofsblogNOSPAM@sbcglobal.net
To use it, take out the "NOSPAM". A non-coded e-mail address published on the web is an invitation to spam-hell.
I just set up a new e-mail address for AFSCME 3357-Hof's Blog. I'm going to rely on the spam filter that Yahoo uses. I never published an e-mail address in the blog before, but Yahoo's spam control is pretty good, much better than what we have at work. If you would like to send me Blog-related e-mail, please feel free. I'm not planning on checking it every day, so if you know me, please use my regular home and work e-mail addresses where and when appropriate. The new e-mail address is
hofsblogNOSPAM@sbcglobal.net
To use it, take out the "NOSPAM". A non-coded e-mail address published on the web is an invitation to spam-hell.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Techtree.com India > News > Security > Pak Joins 'Dirty Dozen' Spam List
Where does your spam come from?
According to an analysis by SophosLabs, the majority of the spam that we get in our inboxes comes from hijacked computers, and the country that generates the most spam is the good old USA.
I'm kind of disillusioned because I thought all of those senders were really interested in the quality of my erections, they wanted me to make a mint on penny stocks, and they wanted me to have a good quality replica watch. Now I realize, to quote my personal guru, Navin R. Johnson, it's just a "profit-making scheme".
Techtree.com India > News > Security > Pak Joins 'Dirty Dozen' Spam List
According to an analysis by SophosLabs, the majority of the spam that we get in our inboxes comes from hijacked computers, and the country that generates the most spam is the good old USA.
I'm kind of disillusioned because I thought all of those senders were really interested in the quality of my erections, they wanted me to make a mint on penny stocks, and they wanted me to have a good quality replica watch. Now I realize, to quote my personal guru, Navin R. Johnson, it's just a "profit-making scheme".
Techtree.com India > News > Security > Pak Joins 'Dirty Dozen' Spam List
Inside Line: Toyota to Unveil All-New 2007 Tundra in Detroit -
Battle Royale 2007: New Toyota Tundra vs. Chevy Silverado
Next model year, Toyota will expect to have a ground-up redo of its Tudner Full-Size Pick-up. It will include a new 5.5 liter engine of more than 300 horsepower. Also due for 2007 is a remodelled Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
To add some interest to the battle, both GM and Chevrolet plan to have hybrid versions of their pick-ups by 2008.
Inside Line: Toyota to Unveil All-New 2007 Tundra in Detroit -
Next model year, Toyota will expect to have a ground-up redo of its Tudner Full-Size Pick-up. It will include a new 5.5 liter engine of more than 300 horsepower. Also due for 2007 is a remodelled Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
To add some interest to the battle, both GM and Chevrolet plan to have hybrid versions of their pick-ups by 2008.
Inside Line: Toyota to Unveil All-New 2007 Tundra in Detroit -
Inside Line: Honda Plans Diesel Engine and 65-mpg Hybrid for U.S. -
What the Heck is HCCI
How can it help me get 30% better Gas Mileage?
I've written in this blog before about HCCI, but it's been some time ago, so I'll do it again. HCCI stands for "homogeneous-charge compression-ignition". In an HCCI engine, gas is injected directly into the cylinder and is ignited not by a spark plug, but by high compression within the engine itself, just like a diesel. Compression ignition of gasoline is difficult to manage.
Honda says it can improve the fuel efficiency of the Civic by up to 30% by using HCCI technology. We'll find out if and when it gets here.
Inside Line: Honda Plans Diesel Engine and 65-mpg Hybrid for U.S. -
How can it help me get 30% better Gas Mileage?
I've written in this blog before about HCCI, but it's been some time ago, so I'll do it again. HCCI stands for "homogeneous-charge compression-ignition". In an HCCI engine, gas is injected directly into the cylinder and is ignited not by a spark plug, but by high compression within the engine itself, just like a diesel. Compression ignition of gasoline is difficult to manage.
Honda says it can improve the fuel efficiency of the Civic by up to 30% by using HCCI technology. We'll find out if and when it gets here.
Inside Line: Honda Plans Diesel Engine and 65-mpg Hybrid for U.S. -
Dodgeboy.net - 2006 Dodge Charger Police Package pictures, information and specifications
2006 Dodge Charger - Pursuit (Police) Package
Daimler Chrysler is about to get serious in going after the law enforcement market. The annual market for squad cars is estimated at 50,000-60,000 units. The lion's share of that market now goes to the Ford Crown Vic, with the Chevy Impala and others settling for the last 20%.
With the pursuit package on the Dodge Charger, DC has a credible challenger. Even with a high output engine, the Crown Vic is probably slower than the average car thanks to the added weight of required equipment plus the drag of the light bar. With a high-output hemi, the Charger changes the equation considerably. Hey Bandit - Smokey wants a rematch.
href="http://www.dodgeboy.net/news/charger_police/">Dodgeboy.net - 2006 Dodge Charger Police Package pictures, information and specifications
Daimler Chrysler is about to get serious in going after the law enforcement market. The annual market for squad cars is estimated at 50,000-60,000 units. The lion's share of that market now goes to the Ford Crown Vic, with the Chevy Impala and others settling for the last 20%.
With the pursuit package on the Dodge Charger, DC has a credible challenger. Even with a high output engine, the Crown Vic is probably slower than the average car thanks to the added weight of required equipment plus the drag of the light bar. With a high-output hemi, the Charger changes the equation considerably. Hey Bandit - Smokey wants a rematch.
href="http://www.dodgeboy.net/news/charger_police/">Dodgeboy.net - 2006 Dodge Charger Police Package pictures, information and specifications
GMInsideNews Forums - Crushed By Corolla, Holden Looks Ahead For Commodore
Change in Car-Buying Habits Downunder
For years the top-selling car in Australia was either the Holden Commodore (a GM product) or the Ford Falcon (a Ford product -duh). Both of these cars are "full-size" rear-wheel drive models. Neither has an exact match in the US market, although the Pontiac GTO is based on the 2-door Commodore.
The Toyota Corrolla just upset the apple cart by taking the Australian sales lead in September. Given high gasoline prices, it's not likely that the traditional "domestics" will gain market share soon.
I think this matter requires further research. Therefore if anyone wants to pay me to go to Australia to look into it further, please contact me, and I'll give you specific payment instructions.
GMInsideNews Forums - Crushed By Corolla, Holden Looks Ahead For Commodore
For years the top-selling car in Australia was either the Holden Commodore (a GM product) or the Ford Falcon (a Ford product -duh). Both of these cars are "full-size" rear-wheel drive models. Neither has an exact match in the US market, although the Pontiac GTO is based on the 2-door Commodore.
The Toyota Corrolla just upset the apple cart by taking the Australian sales lead in September. Given high gasoline prices, it's not likely that the traditional "domestics" will gain market share soon.
I think this matter requires further research. Therefore if anyone wants to pay me to go to Australia to look into it further, please contact me, and I'll give you specific payment instructions.
GMInsideNews Forums - Crushed By Corolla, Holden Looks Ahead For Commodore
Future of the Union www.futureoftheunion.com
Delphi Rank & File are Restless.
Delphi is formally proposing reduction of wages to $9-10.00 per hour. Needless to say the UAW members are a little unhappy. The rank & file are closing rank and preparing to file out in protest. Individual locals are preparing their own protests. One site urging activism at the local level is www.futureoftheunion.com, calling for a march in Dayton.
Future of the Union www.futureoftheunion.com
Delphi is formally proposing reduction of wages to $9-10.00 per hour. Needless to say the UAW members are a little unhappy. The rank & file are closing rank and preparing to file out in protest. Individual locals are preparing their own protests. One site urging activism at the local level is www.futureoftheunion.com, calling for a march in Dayton.
Future of the Union www.futureoftheunion.com
"j.k. harris" (sham OR scam OR rip-off OR complaint) - Google Search
J.K. Harris - Why is this company still in business?
Years ago, I had a client with a complaint against J.K. Harris, a company that claims it can get you out of hot water with the IRS. I just got new case recently. I can't believe this company is still in business. I'm not going to write anything here that might get me sued, but I can tell truthfully that there have been lots of complaints about this company. With a trail of this many unhappy customers, you'd think that people wouldn't give them enough business to keep them going. (The google.com search below rendered 780 hits when I checked.)
"j.k. harris" (sham OR scam OR rip-off OR complaint) - Google Search
(Hint: do a google.com search on "budget service! (companies OR organization!) AND [your the name of your state])
Years ago, I had a client with a complaint against J.K. Harris, a company that claims it can get you out of hot water with the IRS. I just got new case recently. I can't believe this company is still in business. I'm not going to write anything here that might get me sued, but I can tell truthfully that there have been lots of complaints about this company. With a trail of this many unhappy customers, you'd think that people wouldn't give them enough business to keep them going. (The google.com search below rendered 780 hits when I checked.)
"j.k. harris" (sham OR scam OR rip-off OR complaint) - Google Search
(Hint: do a google.com search on "budget service! (companies OR organization!) AND [your the name of your state])
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
The "Darkest Days" of the Bush Presidency?
According to a New York Daily News article (republished and linked below at the michaelmoore.com site), these are the "darkest days" of the Bush administration. The mood is glum as top aides are under fire for the Plame leak. Oh yeah, we also have a war that we don't know how to win, a couple million people homeless thanks to a hurricane or three, high gas prices, increasing unemployment, higher interest and inflation rates, rapidly rising budget and trade deficits, disappointing numbers on the whole No Child Left Behind thing, a Supreme Court nominee who seemed like a good idea at the time, and the smartest guy in the white house, the one they all looked up to, is too distracted to help to bail them out. Yes, I'm talking about Mr. Rove.
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
Soon, I can image George W. Bush talking to the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. "Why Abe Why?"
Leading to the inevitable answer: "Because you're such a dip."
The Final Days
According to a New York Daily News article (republished and linked below at the michaelmoore.com site), these are the "darkest days" of the Bush administration. The mood is glum as top aides are under fire for the Plame leak. Oh yeah, we also have a war that we don't know how to win, a couple million people homeless thanks to a hurricane or three, high gas prices, increasing unemployment, higher interest and inflation rates, rapidly rising budget and trade deficits, disappointing numbers on the whole No Child Left Behind thing, a Supreme Court nominee who seemed like a good idea at the time, and the smartest guy in the white house, the one they all looked up to, is too distracted to help to bail them out. Yes, I'm talking about Mr. Rove.
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
Soon, I can image George W. Bush talking to the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. "Why Abe Why?"
Leading to the inevitable answer: "Because you're such a dip."
The Final Days
The Car Connection - Flint: The UAW Giveth and Taketh - The numbers get juggled around in the GM-UAW deal.
Did GM really Save ANYTHING in its UAW Deal on Healthcare?
Jerry Flint of thecarconnection.com takes issue with what the media has been saying about GM savings on healthcare from teh recent pact with the UAW. Flint's main message: GM says they are saving a billion per year, but the agreement calls for a billion a year to be put aside in a special fund for two years to help those who are hurt by the cuts. The net result: 0 savings.
Mr. Flint also commented that GM's bail out of Fiat in the amount of $2 Billion was reported not on newly-released 2005 financial statements, but instead it was reported on amended 2004 disclosure. Bottom line, if you are a GM stockholder, you can look closely at your annual report, you won't see hide nor hair of the $2 Billion.
Personally, if I worked anywhere near the top of GM's accounting department, or even its independent auditor, I'd have my resume out because even if the company avoids bankruptcy, it doesn't mean that there's going to be a happy ending, or even a soft landing for the people who string the numbers together.
The Car Connection - Flint: The UAW Giveth and Taketh - The numbers get juggled around in the GM-UAW deal.
Jerry Flint of thecarconnection.com takes issue with what the media has been saying about GM savings on healthcare from teh recent pact with the UAW. Flint's main message: GM says they are saving a billion per year, but the agreement calls for a billion a year to be put aside in a special fund for two years to help those who are hurt by the cuts. The net result: 0 savings.
Mr. Flint also commented that GM's bail out of Fiat in the amount of $2 Billion was reported not on newly-released 2005 financial statements, but instead it was reported on amended 2004 disclosure. Bottom line, if you are a GM stockholder, you can look closely at your annual report, you won't see hide nor hair of the $2 Billion.
Personally, if I worked anywhere near the top of GM's accounting department, or even its independent auditor, I'd have my resume out because even if the company avoids bankruptcy, it doesn't mean that there's going to be a happy ending, or even a soft landing for the people who string the numbers together.
The Car Connection - Flint: The UAW Giveth and Taketh - The numbers get juggled around in the GM-UAW deal.
Dennis Hastert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Introducing President Dennis Hastert?
In pondering the white house leak controversy, it seems incredible that Bush's #1 guy, Rove, and Cheney's #1 Guy, Libby, would have gotten together on this without input from their respective bosses. (On the other hand, Oliver North supposedly ran a covert war without Ronald Reagan's knowledge or approval, so anything is possible in a Republican white house.) Anyway, what if both Bush and Cheney are impeached or forced to resign? The presidency would go to the Speaker of the House, John Dennis Hastert.
Who is Dennis Hastert? Here's the Wikipedia nickel tour.
Dennis Hastert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In pondering the white house leak controversy, it seems incredible that Bush's #1 guy, Rove, and Cheney's #1 Guy, Libby, would have gotten together on this without input from their respective bosses. (On the other hand, Oliver North supposedly ran a covert war without Ronald Reagan's knowledge or approval, so anything is possible in a Republican white house.) Anyway, what if both Bush and Cheney are impeached or forced to resign? The presidency would go to the Speaker of the House, John Dennis Hastert.
Who is Dennis Hastert? Here's the Wikipedia nickel tour.
Dennis Hastert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USATODAY.com - Wal-Mart calls for higher minimum wage
Wal-Mart Chief says Raise Minimum Wage
Is Wal-Mart Becoming Socially Responsible?
No, not exactly. Actually, not even close.
"Walmart customers do not have enough money to buy basic necessities between paychecks," says walmart Chiefe Executive Lee Scott. The solution, he says, is for Congress to raise the minimum wage. What about what Wal-Mart employees are paid? Uh Uh Uh.
USATODAY.com - Wal-Mart calls for higher minimum wage
Is Wal-Mart Becoming Socially Responsible?
No, not exactly. Actually, not even close.
"Walmart customers do not have enough money to buy basic necessities between paychecks," says walmart Chiefe Executive Lee Scott. The solution, he says, is for Congress to raise the minimum wage. What about what Wal-Mart employees are paid? Uh Uh Uh.
USATODAY.com - Wal-Mart calls for higher minimum wage
Monday, October 24, 2005
Prelude to a Leak - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com
A Must Read Article from Newsweek on the Plame Leak
Prelude to a Leak - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com: "By John Barry, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball"
Prelude to a Leak - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com: "By John Barry, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball"
Who Is Scooter Libby? - The secretive Cheney aide at the heart of the CIA leak case. By John?Dickerson
Slate Magazine: Who is Scooter Libby?
Do we really WANT to know where he got the nickname?
Who Is Scooter Libby? - The secretive Cheney aide at the heart of the CIA leak case. By John?Dickerson
Do we really WANT to know where he got the nickname?
Who Is Scooter Libby? - The secretive Cheney aide at the heart of the CIA leak case. By John?Dickerson
Dead Parrot at Center of British Avian Flu Mystery - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today
Dead Parrot at Center of British Avian Flu Mystery
Hes not dead. Hes Restin'. He could be pining for the fijords.
Dead Parrot at Center of British Avian Flu Mystery - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today
Hes not dead. Hes Restin'. He could be pining for the fijords.
Dead Parrot at Center of British Avian Flu Mystery - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today
National Arbitration Forum
California Consumer Arbitration Statistics
Not long ago California enacted a state statute that required arbitration companies to post the results of their consumer arbitration cases. Prior to this statute, the arbitration companies kept this information secret. Consumer advocates have been waiting to see these numbers. The general consensus was that we'd expect the credit card companies to come out with a very high judgment rate against the consumers. The other assumption was that pursuing an offensive case against a credit card lender in arbitration was not practical.
The website linked below from the National Arbitration Forum includes the first statistics on point that I've seen. From my brief review, it seems like most of these cases are collection cases against the consumer, and the cases are settled before the arbitrator makes an award. The settlement amounts aren't published, so there's no way at present to determine if the forum involves situational pressure that coerces a more lender-friendly settlement than would otherwise occur.
Keep in mind, when collectors sue in court, regardless of the court, they usually enjoy a 90+% success rate anyway. From my standpoint as a consumer-oriented attorney, the statistics that would be most interesting would be what happens when the consumer makes an offensive claim against the lender in consumer arbitration. In the brief time that I had to look at these numbers, I didn't find enough info to draw any conclusions.
National Arbitration Forum
Not long ago California enacted a state statute that required arbitration companies to post the results of their consumer arbitration cases. Prior to this statute, the arbitration companies kept this information secret. Consumer advocates have been waiting to see these numbers. The general consensus was that we'd expect the credit card companies to come out with a very high judgment rate against the consumers. The other assumption was that pursuing an offensive case against a credit card lender in arbitration was not practical.
The website linked below from the National Arbitration Forum includes the first statistics on point that I've seen. From my brief review, it seems like most of these cases are collection cases against the consumer, and the cases are settled before the arbitrator makes an award. The settlement amounts aren't published, so there's no way at present to determine if the forum involves situational pressure that coerces a more lender-friendly settlement than would otherwise occur.
Keep in mind, when collectors sue in court, regardless of the court, they usually enjoy a 90+% success rate anyway. From my standpoint as a consumer-oriented attorney, the statistics that would be most interesting would be what happens when the consumer makes an offensive claim against the lender in consumer arbitration. In the brief time that I had to look at these numbers, I didn't find enough info to draw any conclusions.
National Arbitration Forum
Sunday, October 23, 2005
2006 Saturn Ion
What's this? A FAVORABLE review of the 2006 Saturn Ion?
Yep. Mitch McCullough of NCTD.com just posted a favorable review of the 2006 Saturn Ion. When the Ion first appeared in 2003, it almost sank Saturn. There were just too many things wrong with the car to ignore. According to McCullough, the most glaring faults of the Ion have been addressed and the current version is generally pleasiing.
Yep. Mitch McCullough of NCTD.com just posted a favorable review of the 2006 Saturn Ion. When the Ion first appeared in 2003, it almost sank Saturn. There were just too many things wrong with the car to ignore. According to McCullough, the most glaring faults of the Ion have been addressed and the current version is generally pleasiing.
Financial Catastrophe isn't limited to the Uninsured
Financial Catastrope isn't Limited to the Uninsured
Even if you have health insurance covering 90% of your bills, a family member with a chronic illness can send a family into ruin. I'm linking a good feature article by John Leland of the New York Times.
Even if you have health insurance covering 90% of your bills, a family member with a chronic illness can send a family into ruin. I'm linking a good feature article by John Leland of the New York Times.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Subaru B9 Tribeca earns four 5-star ratings from NHTSA - Minivans/MPVs - minivans.autoblog.com _
How do you make a Better Looking Subaru Tribeca?
Answer: crash it into a wall.
Subaru B9 Tribeca earns four 5-star ratings from NHTSA - Minivans/MPVs - minivans.autoblog.com _
Answer: crash it into a wall.
Subaru B9 Tribeca earns four 5-star ratings from NHTSA - Minivans/MPVs - minivans.autoblog.com _
Fusion launch slowed by Collins & Aikman issues - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _
Ford Fusion Production Slowed by Collins & Aikman Bankruptcy
Lesson: you squeeze your suppliers too hard and you may slip on the juice left on the floor.
Fusion launch slowed by Collins & Aikman issues - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _
Lesson: you squeeze your suppliers too hard and you may slip on the juice left on the floor.
Fusion launch slowed by Collins & Aikman issues - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _
Which is uglier: Aztek or Rodius? - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _
The Ugliest car competition
The contenders, the Pontiac Aztec and the Ssangyong Rodius. It's a close competition but the winner is . . .
The Subaru B9 Tribeca.
Which is uglier: Aztek or Rodius? - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _
The contenders, the Pontiac Aztec and the Ssangyong Rodius. It's a close competition but the winner is . . .
The Subaru B9 Tribeca.
Which is uglier: Aztek or Rodius? - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _
Subaru B5-TPH - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information
Subaru B5-TPH Show Car: Was GM Too Hasty in Dropping Subaru?
GM is in the process of ridding itself of ties with Subaru. Until recently, GM was drawing that Japanese car maker further in its fold; with plans to have Subaru supply a 3 row SUV to Saab.
To generate cash and save cash, GM sold its Subie stake, receiving much less than its $1 Billion investment.
Here's the first sign that that sale was too hasty. Subaru, with its comparatively limited research & development budget, showed off its "turbo parallel hybrid" Subaru B5-TPH. This thing is brisling with innovative technology, and it was likely put together on a fraction of what it would cost the General to make a similar car.
Subaru B5-TPH - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information
GM is in the process of ridding itself of ties with Subaru. Until recently, GM was drawing that Japanese car maker further in its fold; with plans to have Subaru supply a 3 row SUV to Saab.
To generate cash and save cash, GM sold its Subie stake, receiving much less than its $1 Billion investment.
Here's the first sign that that sale was too hasty. Subaru, with its comparatively limited research & development budget, showed off its "turbo parallel hybrid" Subaru B5-TPH. This thing is brisling with innovative technology, and it was likely put together on a fraction of what it would cost the General to make a similar car.
Subaru B5-TPH - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
Let's Get Mikey
I'd like to start a fad here & now. Whenever there is a screw up by anybody in the Bush administration, an important problem that needs to be solved by the most competent of government officials, let's call in the #1 Guy, Mike Brown. Let's use the Famous phrase from the Life Cereal commercial: "Let's Get Mikey!"
For example . ..
Insurgents Torch Iraq's Mail Oil Pipeline
That oil that was going to pay for US intervention? Uh . . . Well . . .
LET'S GET MIKEY!
See how that's done.
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
I'd like to start a fad here & now. Whenever there is a screw up by anybody in the Bush administration, an important problem that needs to be solved by the most competent of government officials, let's call in the #1 Guy, Mike Brown. Let's use the Famous phrase from the Life Cereal commercial: "Let's Get Mikey!"
For example . ..
Insurgents Torch Iraq's Mail Oil Pipeline
That oil that was going to pay for US intervention? Uh . . . Well . . .
LET'S GET MIKEY!
See how that's done.
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Inside Line: Full Test: 2006 Ford Fusion - The Perfect Formula
Rave Reviews for the Ford Fusion
Ford may have posted a big loss yesterday, but at least there is some good news for the blue oval team. The recently launched Ford Fusion is a big hit. Many automotive journalists are comparing it favorably to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. What's the big attraction. In general, they like the looks and the quality of the materials used. As to performance; although the raw numbers are a notch below the accord, the journalists like the handling and "feel" of the car, and they think it's quick enough. Some of the journalists prefer the Fusion's near-twin, the Mercury Milan.
I stopped by a Ford dealer last week to try one out, but the salesman said they've been selling them as quick as they get them in.
For those of us who are UAW-LSP workers, there's some bad news. Ironically, we may be able to drive the Mazda 6 to work (because it's made in Michigan) but not its Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury relatives, because they're assembled in Mexico. It's a shame because the Ford is a couple inches wider and has a couple extra inches of much-needed rear seat space over the Mazda.
Inside Line: Full Test: 2006 Ford Fusion - The Perfect Formula
NCTD on the Ford Fusion
Detroit news on Mercury Milan
Ford may have posted a big loss yesterday, but at least there is some good news for the blue oval team. The recently launched Ford Fusion is a big hit. Many automotive journalists are comparing it favorably to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. What's the big attraction. In general, they like the looks and the quality of the materials used. As to performance; although the raw numbers are a notch below the accord, the journalists like the handling and "feel" of the car, and they think it's quick enough. Some of the journalists prefer the Fusion's near-twin, the Mercury Milan.
I stopped by a Ford dealer last week to try one out, but the salesman said they've been selling them as quick as they get them in.
For those of us who are UAW-LSP workers, there's some bad news. Ironically, we may be able to drive the Mazda 6 to work (because it's made in Michigan) but not its Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury relatives, because they're assembled in Mexico. It's a shame because the Ford is a couple inches wider and has a couple extra inches of much-needed rear seat space over the Mazda.
Inside Line: Full Test: 2006 Ford Fusion - The Perfect Formula
NCTD on the Ford Fusion
Detroit news on Mercury Milan
Average Health Care Costs Per Vehicle - Yahoo! News
How much of a new car cost goes to Healthcare?
For GM North America (note that includes Canada) $1,500.
For Toyota North America $201.
Others are in the linked article.
Average Health Care Costs Per Vehicle - Yahoo! News
For GM North America (note that includes Canada) $1,500.
For Toyota North America $201.
Others are in the linked article.
Average Health Care Costs Per Vehicle - Yahoo! News
Ford to close plants after posting loss - Yahoo! News
Ford to close plants
Bill Ford expects a health care pact with UAW similar to the deal struck by GM.
Ford to close plants after posting loss - Yahoo! News
Bill Ford expects a health care pact with UAW similar to the deal struck by GM.
Ford to close plants after posting loss - Yahoo! News
USNews.com: Autos: Muscle Per Gallon Index (10/15/05)
The "Muscle Per Gallon" Index from US News
US news has prepared a chart which ranks cars on the best combination of horsepower and fuel economy. This is one of those wonkey charts that fantasy football players really value.
USNews.com: Autos: Muscle Per Gallon Index (10/15/05)
US news has prepared a chart which ranks cars on the best combination of horsepower and fuel economy. This is one of those wonkey charts that fantasy football players really value.
USNews.com: Autos: Muscle Per Gallon Index (10/15/05)
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Security Watch: Give public biometrics the finger - CNET reviews
CNET: Give Biometrics the Finger
I first encountered biometrics three years ago when goons at the entry gates to Walt Disney World demanded that my family members put their fingers in scanners. I politely. well semi-politely told them no, and they semi-politely relented. I'm told that they are not as nice these days. They say that they are just checking the relationship between your fingers as ID, but they could be taking your fingerprints and matching them with your personal data, and you'd have no way of knowing. You'd also have no way of limiting the distribution of this data.
Security Watch: Give public biometrics the finger - CNET reviews
I first encountered biometrics three years ago when goons at the entry gates to Walt Disney World demanded that my family members put their fingers in scanners. I politely. well semi-politely told them no, and they semi-politely relented. I'm told that they are not as nice these days. They say that they are just checking the relationship between your fingers as ID, but they could be taking your fingerprints and matching them with your personal data, and you'd have no way of knowing. You'd also have no way of limiting the distribution of this data.
Security Watch: Give public biometrics the finger - CNET reviews
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Wilma knew
Our own Wilma T. told me "I'm going to make Katrina look like a light breeze." So far she's right.
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Our own Wilma T. told me "I'm going to make Katrina look like a light breeze." So far she's right.
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
AP Entertainment | IndyStar.com
Stallone to Star in Rocky 6
What's the rock this time - a kidney stone?
AP Entertainment | IndyStar.com
What's the rock this time - a kidney stone?
AP Entertainment | IndyStar.com
MSN Money - CNBC News - GM posts huge loss, cuts deal with UAW
GM-UAW Healthcare Deal - so which is it $1 Billion or $3 Billion?
I'm totally confused. Yesterday, it seemed like the news stories were reporting $1 Billion in annual savings on health care. Now, I'm seeing $3 Billion "pre-tax" in savings on the ACTIVE employees.
MSN Money - CNBC News - GM posts huge loss, cuts deal with UAW
I'm totally confused. Yesterday, it seemed like the news stories were reporting $1 Billion in annual savings on health care. Now, I'm seeing $3 Billion "pre-tax" in savings on the ACTIVE employees.
MSN Money - CNBC News - GM posts huge loss, cuts deal with UAW
Want to Be a Diplomat? Follow the Greenback Road
How much does it cost to become an Ambassador?
Maybe I coud afford Burkina Faso.
Want to Be a Diplomat? Follow the Greenback Road
Maybe I coud afford Burkina Faso.
Want to Be a Diplomat? Follow the Greenback Road
Bankruptcy CYA: Home Page
Bankruptcy Lawyers: Under BARF How Much Does it Cost to Cover Your Ass?
About $200 -- at least that's what the charge is at a new website designed to provide bankruptcy attorneys with one stop shopping for the data services necessary to conduct a "reasonable investigation" under the new bankruptcy law.
Deep down inside, we always knew that no matter what changes the new bankruptcy law brought, the most enterprising and entrepreneurial lawyers would find a way to survive and prosper. Indianapolis attorney Mark Zuckerberg can certainly be counted in that group. From everything I can tell, he runs an efficient yet throrough law office and gives his clients good value per dollar.
Mr. Zuckerberg has put together a website, www.bankruptcycya.com that is designed to take the horror out of signing the dotted lines on a bankruptcy filing stating that you've conducted a "reasonable investigation" into the truth of the debtor's schedules. To get to the $200.00 figure, I added up the cost of each of the data services that bankruptcycya.com offers, and I rounded. I did not include the cost of counseling because that's not really a cya cost. In many cases you won't need to do all these searches, but in some, you'll have to search on more than one car, for example, so you might have multiples.
I'm posting this primarily for the benefit of private bankruptcy attorneys. I'm sure that the Plan will refine its internal procedures as time passes.
Bankruptcy CYA: Home Page
About $200 -- at least that's what the charge is at a new website designed to provide bankruptcy attorneys with one stop shopping for the data services necessary to conduct a "reasonable investigation" under the new bankruptcy law.
Deep down inside, we always knew that no matter what changes the new bankruptcy law brought, the most enterprising and entrepreneurial lawyers would find a way to survive and prosper. Indianapolis attorney Mark Zuckerberg can certainly be counted in that group. From everything I can tell, he runs an efficient yet throrough law office and gives his clients good value per dollar.
Mr. Zuckerberg has put together a website, www.bankruptcycya.com that is designed to take the horror out of signing the dotted lines on a bankruptcy filing stating that you've conducted a "reasonable investigation" into the truth of the debtor's schedules. To get to the $200.00 figure, I added up the cost of each of the data services that bankruptcycya.com offers, and I rounded. I did not include the cost of counseling because that's not really a cya cost. In many cases you won't need to do all these searches, but in some, you'll have to search on more than one car, for example, so you might have multiples.
I'm posting this primarily for the benefit of private bankruptcy attorneys. I'm sure that the Plan will refine its internal procedures as time passes.
Bankruptcy CYA: Home Page
Monday, October 17, 2005
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Movie Star goes Topless to Protest Iraq War
The bad news: The star was Roberto Benigni.
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
The bad news: The star was Roberto Benigni.
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
The journey from box to house | csmonitor.com
Shipping Containers to the Rescue
Some time ago, I posted a link to a site discussing used shipping containers as a possible partial solution to the global housing shortage. The hurricanes in the Gulf and the earthquake in Pakistan, not to mention the mudslides in Guatemala, highlight the need for emergency temporary shelter.
We have a glut of used shipping containers, since we import more than we export, they tend to pile up here. The United States Government should mandate that shipping container manufacturers assemble the containers with possible future uses in mind. This would include pre-molding locations for wiring and utility connection as well as reinforcing points where two or more containers can be joined to make up for their weakest feature, their 8 foot width.
The journey from box to house | csmonitor.com
Some time ago, I posted a link to a site discussing used shipping containers as a possible partial solution to the global housing shortage. The hurricanes in the Gulf and the earthquake in Pakistan, not to mention the mudslides in Guatemala, highlight the need for emergency temporary shelter.
We have a glut of used shipping containers, since we import more than we export, they tend to pile up here. The United States Government should mandate that shipping container manufacturers assemble the containers with possible future uses in mind. This would include pre-molding locations for wiring and utility connection as well as reinforcing points where two or more containers can be joined to make up for their weakest feature, their 8 foot width.
The journey from box to house | csmonitor.com
Dago Red Plane on eBay - Luxist - www.luxist.com
What I want for Christmas Part II
If you can find Rare Bear, I'll take that one instead.
Dago Red Plane on eBay - Luxist - www.luxist.com
If you can find Rare Bear, I'll take that one instead.
Dago Red Plane on eBay - Luxist - www.luxist.com
AP Wire | 10/17/2005 | Citigroup, Wachovia earnings both jump
New Bankruptcy Law is Effective
Citigroup Earnings up 35%
Citigroup reported earnings up 35%. Coincidently, the new bankruptcy law became effective today. If Citigroup's earnings are up 35% without the benefit of the bankruptcy law, what will they be WITH the bankrutpcy law? Citigroup reported QUARTERLY earnings of $7.1 Billion. (Remember, GM's losses were $1.6 Billion for the same period.) Ok, American citizens and taxpayers, which corporation needed a bailout more, Citigroup or General Motors. Pencils down, hand in your papers.
AP Wire | 10/17/2005 | Citigroup, Wachovia earnings both jump
Citigroup Earnings up 35%
Citigroup reported earnings up 35%. Coincidently, the new bankruptcy law became effective today. If Citigroup's earnings are up 35% without the benefit of the bankruptcy law, what will they be WITH the bankrutpcy law? Citigroup reported QUARTERLY earnings of $7.1 Billion. (Remember, GM's losses were $1.6 Billion for the same period.) Ok, American citizens and taxpayers, which corporation needed a bailout more, Citigroup or General Motors. Pencils down, hand in your papers.
AP Wire | 10/17/2005 | Citigroup, Wachovia earnings both jump
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Panda Cub Gets a Name
The baby panda at the National Zoo just got a name, Tai Shan. I believe the English translation of that Chinese word means, "soon I will be your boss."
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
The baby panda at the National Zoo just got a name, Tai Shan. I believe the English translation of that Chinese word means, "soon I will be your boss."
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
GM posts huge loss, sets UAW deal - Yahoo! News
Good News - Bad News for GM
GM Posts $1.6 Billion Quarterly Loss
GM Reaches Deal with UAW on Healthcare
Negotiators from the UAW and GM worked frantically over the weekend to come up with a deal over healthcare expenses. GM wanted the UAW to open the contract and make concessions. The UAW expressed a willingness to deal within the context of the contract. At least that was the union's public position. It seems obvious that the union officials know that if they don't deal before the contract expires in 2007, either they will be dealing with GM in bankruptcy court or the non-bankrupt GM will be so broke that the difference won't be significant. No doubt GM was desperate to make a deal and have the deal ready to announce when quarterly financial disclosures were due to be announced today. The alternative would be a stock price in free fall and probably another debt downgrade.
So they came up with a health care deal. What can you make of it Johnny? A hat, a broach, a pterodactyl? It's hard to say. Here's how it is reported at yahoo.com:
The tentative agreement is projected to reduce GM's retiree health-care liabilities by about $15 billion and cut its annual employee health-care expense by about $3 billion before taxes. Cash savings are estimated to be about $1 billion a year, GM said.
Other stories talk about retiree health care expenses cut by 25%.
Now these numbers don't make total sense to me, but it seems to me that if you are losing $1.6 Billion per quarter, and you cut health care expenses, $1 Billion per year, you still have $5 Billion left in annual losses unless you do something else. So far, that something else is to get rid of employee pricing for everybody, and the short term effect of that is to drop sales 57% compared to last year.
GM posts huge loss, sets UAW deal - Yahoo! News
GM Posts $1.6 Billion Quarterly Loss
GM Reaches Deal with UAW on Healthcare
Negotiators from the UAW and GM worked frantically over the weekend to come up with a deal over healthcare expenses. GM wanted the UAW to open the contract and make concessions. The UAW expressed a willingness to deal within the context of the contract. At least that was the union's public position. It seems obvious that the union officials know that if they don't deal before the contract expires in 2007, either they will be dealing with GM in bankruptcy court or the non-bankrupt GM will be so broke that the difference won't be significant. No doubt GM was desperate to make a deal and have the deal ready to announce when quarterly financial disclosures were due to be announced today. The alternative would be a stock price in free fall and probably another debt downgrade.
So they came up with a health care deal. What can you make of it Johnny? A hat, a broach, a pterodactyl? It's hard to say. Here's how it is reported at yahoo.com:
The tentative agreement is projected to reduce GM's retiree health-care liabilities by about $15 billion and cut its annual employee health-care expense by about $3 billion before taxes. Cash savings are estimated to be about $1 billion a year, GM said.
Other stories talk about retiree health care expenses cut by 25%.
Now these numbers don't make total sense to me, but it seems to me that if you are losing $1.6 Billion per quarter, and you cut health care expenses, $1 Billion per year, you still have $5 Billion left in annual losses unless you do something else. So far, that something else is to get rid of employee pricing for everybody, and the short term effect of that is to drop sales 57% compared to last year.
GM posts huge loss, sets UAW deal - Yahoo! News
Friday, October 14, 2005
Auto sales crumble
Auto Sales Plummet in Early October
For the first nine days of October, car sales industry-wide were down 33%, with all manufacturers showing declines. That being said, GM and ford got killed. GM was down 57% from last year, and Ford was down 45%. For the first time, Toyota had the largest market share with 18.2%. Even ford (at 15.6%) beat GM's share of 14.6%.
The bottom line: Don't buy a car in the next couple weeks until the inevitable new incentives are in place.
Auto sales crumble
For the first nine days of October, car sales industry-wide were down 33%, with all manufacturers showing declines. That being said, GM and ford got killed. GM was down 57% from last year, and Ford was down 45%. For the first time, Toyota had the largest market share with 18.2%. Even ford (at 15.6%) beat GM's share of 14.6%.
The bottom line: Don't buy a car in the next couple weeks until the inevitable new incentives are in place.
Auto sales crumble
Thursday, October 13, 2005
'06 Chevy Express and GMC Savana Full-Size Vans to Offer Duramax 6600 Turbodiesel
2006 Chevrolet Express - TurboDiesel Time
Every year at the auto show, the kids are drawn to the custom vans with the plush seats & the big televisions. Is there a place for these vehicles in the world of $3.00 a gallon gas? Maybe. For 2006 The Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana have a Duramax 6600 turbodiesel option. With 300 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque, the Duramax is almost twice as powerful on both counts as the 2.7 liter Mercedes turbodiesel engine that powers the competing Dodge Sprinter. GM backs up their new Duramax diesel with an advanced 6-speed Allison automatic transmission.
Manufacturers don't have to rate fuel economy of vehicles in this size, but for the shorter wheelbase version 20 mpg wouldn't be out of the question. For the longer wheelbase version, 15 mpg would be realistic. Doesn't sound impressive? 16 mpg in a van carrying 8 people is 128 person-miles per gallon, a figure that you couldn't achieve with a Toyota Prius carrying two people. In theory, you can do even better than this, because 15-seat models are available.
In the past, long-wheelbased passenger vans have been criticized because they tend to be involved in crashes with multiple fatalities. In part, this is due to inexperienced drivers. In part it has to do with lack of safety features in the vehicles. In the 2006 GM vans, stability control is now standard, and the frame has been strengthened. Hopefully this will reduce the rate of roll-over crashes.
'06 Chevy Express and GMC Savana Full-Size Vans to Offer Duramax 6600 Turbodiesel
Every year at the auto show, the kids are drawn to the custom vans with the plush seats & the big televisions. Is there a place for these vehicles in the world of $3.00 a gallon gas? Maybe. For 2006 The Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana have a Duramax 6600 turbodiesel option. With 300 horsepower and 520 lb.-ft. of torque, the Duramax is almost twice as powerful on both counts as the 2.7 liter Mercedes turbodiesel engine that powers the competing Dodge Sprinter. GM backs up their new Duramax diesel with an advanced 6-speed Allison automatic transmission.
Manufacturers don't have to rate fuel economy of vehicles in this size, but for the shorter wheelbase version 20 mpg wouldn't be out of the question. For the longer wheelbase version, 15 mpg would be realistic. Doesn't sound impressive? 16 mpg in a van carrying 8 people is 128 person-miles per gallon, a figure that you couldn't achieve with a Toyota Prius carrying two people. In theory, you can do even better than this, because 15-seat models are available.
In the past, long-wheelbased passenger vans have been criticized because they tend to be involved in crashes with multiple fatalities. In part, this is due to inexperienced drivers. In part it has to do with lack of safety features in the vehicles. In the 2006 GM vans, stability control is now standard, and the frame has been strengthened. Hopefully this will reduce the rate of roll-over crashes.
'06 Chevy Express and GMC Savana Full-Size Vans to Offer Duramax 6600 Turbodiesel
Bank of America Loses Customer Data Again
Bank of America Loses Customer Data Again
Is it any wonder that the least competent bank was on the high on the list of major campaign contributors to the least competent president ($218 in 2004).
Bank of America Loses Customer Data Again
Is it any wonder that the least competent bank was on the high on the list of major campaign contributors to the least competent president ($218 in 2004).
Bank of America Loses Customer Data Again
Epinions.com - mkaresh's Profile
Meet Mike Karesh -- The Hardest Working Car Reviewer on the Web
Mike Karesh posts car reviews on epinions.com. He posts a lot of them. It appears that he does all the driving and writing himself, yet he matches the output of most of the mainstream auto mags. He also has a website www.truedelta.com where he takes a novel approach to price comparisons of cars by analysing how much each of the features in a package is worth. Not only that, but he's trying to build up reliability data. Look out Consumer Reports.
Epinions.com - mkaresh's Profile
Mike Karesh posts car reviews on epinions.com. He posts a lot of them. It appears that he does all the driving and writing himself, yet he matches the output of most of the mainstream auto mags. He also has a website www.truedelta.com where he takes a novel approach to price comparisons of cars by analysing how much each of the features in a package is worth. Not only that, but he's trying to build up reliability data. Look out Consumer Reports.
Epinions.com - mkaresh's Profile
Bridgestone Settles with Ford
When is $240 Million NOT a Good Settlement?
Ford and Bridgestone Tire announced that they have settled their legal disputes regarding Ford Explorer tire recalls in 2000 and 2001.
According to Ford, it spent about $3 Billion in replacing Firestone tires that were original equipment on the Ford Explorer. Ford claimed the tires were defective. Firestone claimed that Ford engineered the Explorer with a center of gravity that was too high, and tried to compensate by lowering the recommended tire pressure.
Based on the fact that the settlement amount was less than 1/10 what Ford paid to replace the tires, one wonders how much faith Ford had in its position.
Bridgestone Settles with Ford
Ford and Bridgestone Tire announced that they have settled their legal disputes regarding Ford Explorer tire recalls in 2000 and 2001.
According to Ford, it spent about $3 Billion in replacing Firestone tires that were original equipment on the Ford Explorer. Ford claimed the tires were defective. Firestone claimed that Ford engineered the Explorer with a center of gravity that was too high, and tried to compensate by lowering the recommended tire pressure.
Based on the fact that the settlement amount was less than 1/10 what Ford paid to replace the tires, one wonders how much faith Ford had in its position.
Bridgestone Settles with Ford
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
The Tonya Harding Website
The Tonya Harding Website
To get a lesson on how to milk your 15 minutes of fame, check out the Tonya Harding website. TH still has good name recognition, better than Nancy whats-her-name.
Warning: not everything here is suitable for work or children.
The Tonya Harding Website
To get a lesson on how to milk your 15 minutes of fame, check out the Tonya Harding website. TH still has good name recognition, better than Nancy whats-her-name.
Warning: not everything here is suitable for work or children.
The Tonya Harding Website
UAW: Prepare to strike Delphi
UAW to Delphi Workers: Prepare to Strike
Could General Motors end up being the Biggest Loser in a 3-way Game of Chicken?
The UAW has until December 16 to negotiate a new contract with Delphi. It is apparent though, that if Delphi is firm on its demands to drop wages to the $10-12 that was recently offered to the union, the UAW is likely to strike.
A shutdown of one or a few key Delphi plants that provide key parts can grind to a halt the assembly of cars that depend upon those parts. Because of this, and because Delphi' future (in addition to cost cuts) depends upon maintaining relations with customers, you can bet that Delphi is making contingency plans on continuing operations post-strike with non-union (scab) workers. This can get really ugly in company towns like Kokomo, Indiana where everybody either has a family member or a close friend that works for Delphi.
We'll have to wait & see how this plays out.
UAW: Prepare to strike Delphi
Could General Motors end up being the Biggest Loser in a 3-way Game of Chicken?
The UAW has until December 16 to negotiate a new contract with Delphi. It is apparent though, that if Delphi is firm on its demands to drop wages to the $10-12 that was recently offered to the union, the UAW is likely to strike.
A shutdown of one or a few key Delphi plants that provide key parts can grind to a halt the assembly of cars that depend upon those parts. Because of this, and because Delphi' future (in addition to cost cuts) depends upon maintaining relations with customers, you can bet that Delphi is making contingency plans on continuing operations post-strike with non-union (scab) workers. This can get really ugly in company towns like Kokomo, Indiana where everybody either has a family member or a close friend that works for Delphi.
We'll have to wait & see how this plays out.
UAW: Prepare to strike Delphi
Macworld: News: New iMac serves as digital entertainment hub
New Video iPods
New iMacs
Apple announced a video iPod. Users will be able to download television shows such as Desperate Housewifes from the iTunes site for $1.99 the day after the shows are first aired.
In addition, as I predicted in my iMac review, Apple released a modestly upgrated iMac. The new machine is a half inch narrower and includes an iSight webcam built-in. It also includes a remote control for playing back video content. IMHO Apple should have included a TV Tuner rather than the webcam.
Macworld: News: New iMac serves as digital entertainment hub
New iMacs
Apple announced a video iPod. Users will be able to download television shows such as Desperate Housewifes from the iTunes site for $1.99 the day after the shows are first aired.
In addition, as I predicted in my iMac review, Apple released a modestly upgrated iMac. The new machine is a half inch narrower and includes an iSight webcam built-in. It also includes a remote control for playing back video content. IMHO Apple should have included a TV Tuner rather than the webcam.
Macworld: News: New iMac serves as digital entertainment hub
Amazon.com: Everything Else: JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank
JL421 Badonkadonk - Is this the car that will save General Motors?
Probably not.
Amazon.com: Everything Else: JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank
Probably not.
Amazon.com: Everything Else: JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
2006 Mercury Milan Review, Prices, Photos: New Car Test Drive
2006 Mercury Milan Review
A month ago, I posted a review of the Ford Fusion. Now I'm linking the NCTD.com review of the The Mercury Milan. The Milan is the Fusion's Mercury counterpart. I'd say "twin", but the two are actually more like cousins. Both seem good, but Based on first impressions, I'd take the Mercury. I'll try and take my own test-drive soon and report my hands-on opinion.
2006 Mercury Milan Review, Prices, Photos: New Car Test Drive
A month ago, I posted a review of the Ford Fusion. Now I'm linking the NCTD.com review of the The Mercury Milan. The Milan is the Fusion's Mercury counterpart. I'd say "twin", but the two are actually more like cousins. Both seem good, but Based on first impressions, I'd take the Mercury. I'll try and take my own test-drive soon and report my hands-on opinion.
2006 Mercury Milan Review, Prices, Photos: New Car Test Drive
The Cowsills Web Page: Press Release - Barry Cowsill Missing After Hurricane Katrina
Barry Cowsill is Missing
Susan Cowsill is Back with a Vengence
News of the Cowsill family, the real-life inspiration for the Partridge Family:
Teen heartthrob Barry Cowsill is one of the people missing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The "Where is Barry" webpage is linked below.
The Cowsills Web Page: Press Release - Barry Cowsill Missing After Hurricane Katrina
Little sister, Susan (now in her mid-40s), has a new album out that she's touring in support of and promoting on her website www.susancowsill.com. It sounds good. She has a sweet voice with just enough grit to make it interesting.
Susan Cowsill is Back with a Vengence
News of the Cowsill family, the real-life inspiration for the Partridge Family:
Teen heartthrob Barry Cowsill is one of the people missing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The "Where is Barry" webpage is linked below.
The Cowsills Web Page: Press Release - Barry Cowsill Missing After Hurricane Katrina
Little sister, Susan (now in her mid-40s), has a new album out that she's touring in support of and promoting on her website www.susancowsill.com. It sounds good. She has a sweet voice with just enough grit to make it interesting.
Steve Miller on the Record
Delphi's Steve Miller ain't talkin 'bout the Pompitous of Love
Delphi's CEO Steve Miller wrote an open letter published in Businessweek. Below is a clip:
Globalization is a fact of life these days. We no longer exist in a national economy, but a global economy. This is a good thing, in that it brings rising standards of living not only to Americans, but to all the world's citizens.
But what has been brought into sharp relief is the differing value the global market places on knowledge workers versus basic manufacturing workers. I was struck by what I saw when I visited our Delphi operations in Mexico last week. Our average hourly worker makes about $7,000 a year, while the average salaried worker makes about $35,000 a year. A spread of five times! The same spread, or wider, exists in all low-cost countries.
The implications for America are enormous, and it boils down to this. If you want your kids to enjoy the great American dream, get them a good education. The days when manual unskilled labor can deliver $65 an hour are disappearing.
Allow me to be the first UAW-LSP lawyer to volunteer to work for five times the $10.00 per hour that Delphi proposed to the UAW. It would be a severe hardship, but I think I could get by on it.
Steve Miller on the Record
Delphi's CEO Steve Miller wrote an open letter published in Businessweek. Below is a clip:
Globalization is a fact of life these days. We no longer exist in a national economy, but a global economy. This is a good thing, in that it brings rising standards of living not only to Americans, but to all the world's citizens.
But what has been brought into sharp relief is the differing value the global market places on knowledge workers versus basic manufacturing workers. I was struck by what I saw when I visited our Delphi operations in Mexico last week. Our average hourly worker makes about $7,000 a year, while the average salaried worker makes about $35,000 a year. A spread of five times! The same spread, or wider, exists in all low-cost countries.
The implications for America are enormous, and it boils down to this. If you want your kids to enjoy the great American dream, get them a good education. The days when manual unskilled labor can deliver $65 an hour are disappearing.
Allow me to be the first UAW-LSP lawyer to volunteer to work for five times the $10.00 per hour that Delphi proposed to the UAW. It would be a severe hardship, but I think I could get by on it.
Steve Miller on the Record
IMAC G5 Computer Review
Computer Review: iMac G5 (17” 512/160 gb) M9844LL/A
At the end of August, we finally replaced (supplemented actually) our family computer. We had been using a five-year-old Compaq Presario, a Windows ME machine that has become about as obedient as any five-year-old.
After much consideration, I decided to go back to my (now silver) roots and go Macintosh. My first Mac was a 512ke model that I got second hand in 1986. That started an unbroken succession of Macs that ran through 1997. I ran my law office on Macs from 1991 through 1998, mostly using Clarisworks, but also Filemaker, Quicken, Microsoft Word, Writenow, and a great little PIM called inTouch. I’m going into detail to suggest that I DID have quite a bit of familiarity with Apple computers, but in the late 1990s, I drifted away, and yes, I bought a Windows PC.
Windows is okay. I use it at work, and it does fine, at least as long as you are running three or four levels of spyware/adware/virus protection. People have been telling me though that Mac OS-X, the current operating system, is the real deal. It’s a generation ahead of Windows. Spyware – a non-issue. Viruses – a non-issue. And the iLife Suite – it supposedly turns mundane household chores like organizing your photos into an artistic endeavor. Plus, Macs look cool.
The Buying Experience
So I visited my local Apple store. In the store I got the feeling that I was visiting the 21st century version of a hipster coffeehouse (ok, a coffee house for nerds.) I was leaning towards buying an iBook notebook, but I walked out of the store with a IMac G5, the version with the 17” widescreen LCD and the Superdrive DVD burner. The List price for this model was (and still is) $1499. We bought ours during a back-to-school promotion aimed at teachers. We got the standard $100 off the machine, with an iPod mini thrown in for good measure. We also got $100 rebate on a printer and $50.00 off Microsoft Office. Being married to a teacher has its advantages.
The pre-rebate cost of all this mess ended up being around $2,000. This is a little hard to swallow when you are used to looking at $399 windows packages in the newspaper. On the other hand, $1499 is actually the second cheapest price that I ever paid for any Mac. In 1986, my Mac 512ke had an 8 megahertz processor. This one has two gigahertz, 250 times faster – and that’s not even considering that the new Mac crunches 64 bits at a time rather than 16. The 512ke had 512 kilobytes of RAM. This one has 512 megabytes, a full 1,000 times greater.
Yet, all of these numbers are beside the point. The bottom line is that if you spend your time using a computer you should either enjoy it, get stuff done, or both. The computer has to be worth your time. You have to ask yourself if you buy a bottom-of-the-line basic computer if you aren’t implicitly putting a bottom-of-the-line value on your time. Over the next five years, I bet the members of my family will spend on average two hours a day using the computer. 365 x 2 x 5 = 3650 hours. So amortized over the life of the computer, the computer will cost us less than $.50 per hour.
iMAC G5 – The User Experience
Much has been said about the iMac’s slimline all-in-one styling. Yep, it’s all that. The iMac comes in a cardboard box the not much bigger than its 17 inch monitor. Here’s what you do to set it up. Plug in the power cord. Plug in the keyboard. Plug in the mouse. In my case, I also plugged in the DSL line. (Some models have a cordless mouse and keyboard. We elected to get the cord. Per my wife: “We have to chase the television remote all over the house, why look for the mouse too?” Good point.) After the plug-in, I turned on the power. There was a remarkably short start-up period. The computer recognized the DSL line and connected us automatically (not so with our Windows machine), and after answering a few questions – we’re set up and ready to go. Not only did it recognize our DSL line, it also recognized several wireless networks with its builtin wi-fi (“airport”) card. Too bad I don’t have permission to use any of those networks.
I plugged in my Kodak camera. Boom, it was recognized right away, ready to dump all the photos into iPhoto. I put in an audio CD, Boom, ready to import music into iTunes. I even put in a PAL format DVD loaned to us by a friend from England. The computer asked me if I wanted to change my Zone for DVD playback, and it warned me that I could only do so two more times. (Or what? I don’t know.)
For surfing the web, word processing, listening to music, watching dvds, the iMac is a wonderful computer. The 17” display is more screen real estate than I’m used to, and it’s space that is needed for a multi-tasking operating system like OS-X. Even though Windows XP is multi-tasking, it really doesn’t encourage the practice. OS-X says two tasks at once? No problem. Three? Ditto. Four? Go for it. For the nerdiest among us, how does the 2Ghz G5 compare to a 3.4 Ghz P4? I don’t know. I don’t care. The G5 so far has been fast enough to do anything I want to do, and often while doing several other things at the same time.
It’s the Software Morris
The applications that come with the iMac are nice. The “iLife Suite” includes Safari web browser, iTunes, iMovie, idvd, iPhoto and a cool music program called Garageband. (In addition to iLife, the G5 also includes Appleworks the direct descendent of Clarisworks, and some games.)
Most people will spend the most time with the web browser, so I’ll get that out of the way first. The Safari browser doesn’t really fit with the rest of the iLife suite. Safari is a good browser, but a browser is a browser. I quickly downloaded Mozilla Firefox. I use them both, and neither is clearly superior to the other.
iLife = iTimeSuck
The true “i” applications are supposed to make cumbersome creative tasks easy and fun. Here’s where the advertisements don’t entirely mesh with reality. Make no mistake, the Apple programs are powerful and comparatively easy to get around; however most of these tasks are inherently time-consuming, and this or any computer will only take a certain amount of the drudgery out of it. It is time-consuming to sort through hundreds of photos and put them into any kind of order no matter what program you use. Don’t think for a minute that if you don’t have time to look through your photos that you will automatically have time to turn them into well-ordered masterpieces with iPhoto. Ditto but more so for iMovie and iDVD. It takes at least an hour to look through an hour of video tape. To mark sections, put them together, take them apart, and put them together again takes time, period. I took a video production course in college. My first experience with video editing taught me that I did not want to do this for a living. Don’t kid yourself. if you have a job, and if you have a life, and maybe if you just have one or another, you probably won’t be making many custom DVDs. Nevertheless, you may find that one or more of the iLife applications really triggers a hidden talent or fills a need for creative outlet.
What about iTunes and the iPod? The iTunes program works seamlessly with the iPod. Personally, I don’t see myself as an iPod person. You don’t have thousands of songs for your iPod until you load thousands of songs into your computer, one way or another. I’m happy with my XM radio. I prefer to have someone else do the programming for me, and I can’t wait fro the next generation of XM2Go.
I saved the best for last – GarageBand. Garageband is the iLife application that flips my switch. GarageBand is a music making program that aims to let total amateurs make professional-sounding, or at least pleasing, musical compositions. It comes with loops that can be stretched, shrunk and pitch-corrected as you desire. It also allows you to record live audio tracks, and play virtual instruments via MIDI input. The program includes professional effects, like reverb, distortion, compression and even pitch-correction.
I’m a frustrated garage musician from way back. I experimented with a couple of real garage bands as a teenager, but I wasn’t talented or dedicated enough to make anything out of it. Well folks, if you’re 17 in 2005, the excuses are gone. You can make excellent music with Garageband. To see what others are doing with Garageband, check out this website, www.macjams.com.
My experimentation has only dented the surface of what Garageband can do. Even though this is an entry-level program, you could spend months or years learning new things daily. There is one glaring deficiency in this version (v.2.0) of Garageband, and that is General Midi (GM) support. Real garage bands usually learn their trade by learning cover songs. General Midi files of thousands of tunes are available on the web, but Garageband doesn’t make it easy to work with them. Garageband claims to have added General Midi import in this version, and that’s true to a point. You can import the sequences into the program, but since Garageband doesn’t come with a GM soundset, the individual parts are often mapped to instrument sounds that are quite different from the original source. Sometimes this creates an interesting change, and sometimes not. Sadly, Garageband does not export General Midi sequences at all.
Apple has shown that it intends to upgrade and supplement Garageband. Apple has already come out with several “Jampacks” of add-on loops and instruments. The Jampacks go for $99 each. At that price, if you are interested in recording your own instrumental tracks rather than using loops, I suggest you check out a product called Key Rig by M-Audio. For about the price of one JamPack, Key Rig is a set of four virtual instruments that can be used in GarageBand and other music programs that use “audio units”, the OS-X standard for audio. The first instrument is dedicated to piano, electric piano and clavinet. The second is a modeled tonewheel organ (ala Hammond B-3). The third is a polysynth. The fourth is a General Midi module. Early reviews of Key Rig have been very positive.
Glitches?
I haven’t had many glitches to report. Those that I have experienced have almost all come from two sources. The first is the HP 1610 printer that I got with the computer. The computer didn’t recognize the printer until I loaded the driver. After I loaded the driver, it worked for a while, then it didn’t. Then after I restarted the computer, it started working again. This type of behavior is acceptable in Windows but it stands out like a sore thumb in the Macintosh world.
The second glitch relates to the virtual OS-9 “Classic” that comes with, but is not pre-installed on, the iMac G5. For those who don’t know Mac history, this takes a brief history lesson. When OS-X debuted in 2001, it amounted to a clean break from the 9 major versions of the Macintosh operating system. Each of the previous nine versions had been built upon its predecessor. OS-X, on the other hand was based upon a version of UNIX called “Mach” as customized by NeXT Computer, a company that Steve Jobs founded and Apple bought. Because OS-X was a completely new operating system, Apple could only keep its faithful users if it came up with a way to transition them from their current OS to the new one without buying all new programs. At first that meant making computers that could “boot” in either operating system. As OS-X native programs proliferated, the preferred solution became to emulate OS-9 as an application running under OS-X. Just like the Windows of its day, OS-9 was not rock-stable. It could and did crash. And that brings me to my glitch experience. I have experienced several crashes, but every single one of them was a crash of an OS-9 application running in classic mode, and the crashes did not bring down my system or require a reboot.
Conclusions
The iMac G5 has delivered on my lofty expectations. OS-X is about as close to a crash-free operating system as you can get and is a refreshing change to the “blue screen of death” known as Windows. Whereas my previous computer was constantly reminding me that there was some form of virus or adware or pop-up trying to hop on my system, while working on the Mac, I don’t have to worry about such things. (Yes, I do run a firewall, the one built-in to the operating system.)
The built-in applications encourage one to work creatively and to try out new things. There are plenty of programs available for the Mac. The only area where the PC has a real world advantage is in the broad array of games available for the PC, but those same games cause a lot of the stability problems that PC users encounter.
If I were to suggest any changes to Apple, I’d suggest adding a television tuner, or at least a video input (other than the Firewire and USB 2.0 connectors which it has). In fact, there are television tuners that you can attach to the iMac, so maybe one day I’ll splurge. For would-be iMac buyers, I suggest that you consider the model with the 20” display if your budget will stretch that far. If yours won’t, the 17” is nice as is.
The Future
As I write this, in early October 2005, the rumor mill is rife with predictions for Apple’s new product announcements scheduled for October 12. The best guess is that this round will focus on the Professional lines, the PowerMacs and PowerBooks. Maybe the iMac will get a speed bump. If so: great. If not, you might want to consider the iMac anyway. Usually, when Apple goes 6 months without bumping a product, they’ll drop the price a bit, or introduce a rebate. This version came out in May 2005, so by November an upgrade or price drop should be expected.
You may have read that Apple plans to shift from the PowerPC processor to Intel chips in 2006. Maybe next year’s Macs will be a lot more powerful and significantly cheaper. Maybe the transition will be glitch-free. Maybe it won’t. This year’s models are pretty stable and useful. In the computer world, that’s no small achievement.
(Review Copyright October 2005, S. Hofer “Hof’s Blog”)
At the end of August, we finally replaced (supplemented actually) our family computer. We had been using a five-year-old Compaq Presario, a Windows ME machine that has become about as obedient as any five-year-old.
After much consideration, I decided to go back to my (now silver) roots and go Macintosh. My first Mac was a 512ke model that I got second hand in 1986. That started an unbroken succession of Macs that ran through 1997. I ran my law office on Macs from 1991 through 1998, mostly using Clarisworks, but also Filemaker, Quicken, Microsoft Word, Writenow, and a great little PIM called inTouch. I’m going into detail to suggest that I DID have quite a bit of familiarity with Apple computers, but in the late 1990s, I drifted away, and yes, I bought a Windows PC.
Windows is okay. I use it at work, and it does fine, at least as long as you are running three or four levels of spyware/adware/virus protection. People have been telling me though that Mac OS-X, the current operating system, is the real deal. It’s a generation ahead of Windows. Spyware – a non-issue. Viruses – a non-issue. And the iLife Suite – it supposedly turns mundane household chores like organizing your photos into an artistic endeavor. Plus, Macs look cool.
The Buying Experience
So I visited my local Apple store. In the store I got the feeling that I was visiting the 21st century version of a hipster coffeehouse (ok, a coffee house for nerds.) I was leaning towards buying an iBook notebook, but I walked out of the store with a IMac G5, the version with the 17” widescreen LCD and the Superdrive DVD burner. The List price for this model was (and still is) $1499. We bought ours during a back-to-school promotion aimed at teachers. We got the standard $100 off the machine, with an iPod mini thrown in for good measure. We also got $100 rebate on a printer and $50.00 off Microsoft Office. Being married to a teacher has its advantages.
The pre-rebate cost of all this mess ended up being around $2,000. This is a little hard to swallow when you are used to looking at $399 windows packages in the newspaper. On the other hand, $1499 is actually the second cheapest price that I ever paid for any Mac. In 1986, my Mac 512ke had an 8 megahertz processor. This one has two gigahertz, 250 times faster – and that’s not even considering that the new Mac crunches 64 bits at a time rather than 16. The 512ke had 512 kilobytes of RAM. This one has 512 megabytes, a full 1,000 times greater.
Yet, all of these numbers are beside the point. The bottom line is that if you spend your time using a computer you should either enjoy it, get stuff done, or both. The computer has to be worth your time. You have to ask yourself if you buy a bottom-of-the-line basic computer if you aren’t implicitly putting a bottom-of-the-line value on your time. Over the next five years, I bet the members of my family will spend on average two hours a day using the computer. 365 x 2 x 5 = 3650 hours. So amortized over the life of the computer, the computer will cost us less than $.50 per hour.
iMAC G5 – The User Experience
Much has been said about the iMac’s slimline all-in-one styling. Yep, it’s all that. The iMac comes in a cardboard box the not much bigger than its 17 inch monitor. Here’s what you do to set it up. Plug in the power cord. Plug in the keyboard. Plug in the mouse. In my case, I also plugged in the DSL line. (Some models have a cordless mouse and keyboard. We elected to get the cord. Per my wife: “We have to chase the television remote all over the house, why look for the mouse too?” Good point.) After the plug-in, I turned on the power. There was a remarkably short start-up period. The computer recognized the DSL line and connected us automatically (not so with our Windows machine), and after answering a few questions – we’re set up and ready to go. Not only did it recognize our DSL line, it also recognized several wireless networks with its builtin wi-fi (“airport”) card. Too bad I don’t have permission to use any of those networks.
I plugged in my Kodak camera. Boom, it was recognized right away, ready to dump all the photos into iPhoto. I put in an audio CD, Boom, ready to import music into iTunes. I even put in a PAL format DVD loaned to us by a friend from England. The computer asked me if I wanted to change my Zone for DVD playback, and it warned me that I could only do so two more times. (Or what? I don’t know.)
For surfing the web, word processing, listening to music, watching dvds, the iMac is a wonderful computer. The 17” display is more screen real estate than I’m used to, and it’s space that is needed for a multi-tasking operating system like OS-X. Even though Windows XP is multi-tasking, it really doesn’t encourage the practice. OS-X says two tasks at once? No problem. Three? Ditto. Four? Go for it. For the nerdiest among us, how does the 2Ghz G5 compare to a 3.4 Ghz P4? I don’t know. I don’t care. The G5 so far has been fast enough to do anything I want to do, and often while doing several other things at the same time.
It’s the Software Morris
The applications that come with the iMac are nice. The “iLife Suite” includes Safari web browser, iTunes, iMovie, idvd, iPhoto and a cool music program called Garageband. (In addition to iLife, the G5 also includes Appleworks the direct descendent of Clarisworks, and some games.)
Most people will spend the most time with the web browser, so I’ll get that out of the way first. The Safari browser doesn’t really fit with the rest of the iLife suite. Safari is a good browser, but a browser is a browser. I quickly downloaded Mozilla Firefox. I use them both, and neither is clearly superior to the other.
iLife = iTimeSuck
The true “i” applications are supposed to make cumbersome creative tasks easy and fun. Here’s where the advertisements don’t entirely mesh with reality. Make no mistake, the Apple programs are powerful and comparatively easy to get around; however most of these tasks are inherently time-consuming, and this or any computer will only take a certain amount of the drudgery out of it. It is time-consuming to sort through hundreds of photos and put them into any kind of order no matter what program you use. Don’t think for a minute that if you don’t have time to look through your photos that you will automatically have time to turn them into well-ordered masterpieces with iPhoto. Ditto but more so for iMovie and iDVD. It takes at least an hour to look through an hour of video tape. To mark sections, put them together, take them apart, and put them together again takes time, period. I took a video production course in college. My first experience with video editing taught me that I did not want to do this for a living. Don’t kid yourself. if you have a job, and if you have a life, and maybe if you just have one or another, you probably won’t be making many custom DVDs. Nevertheless, you may find that one or more of the iLife applications really triggers a hidden talent or fills a need for creative outlet.
What about iTunes and the iPod? The iTunes program works seamlessly with the iPod. Personally, I don’t see myself as an iPod person. You don’t have thousands of songs for your iPod until you load thousands of songs into your computer, one way or another. I’m happy with my XM radio. I prefer to have someone else do the programming for me, and I can’t wait fro the next generation of XM2Go.
I saved the best for last – GarageBand. Garageband is the iLife application that flips my switch. GarageBand is a music making program that aims to let total amateurs make professional-sounding, or at least pleasing, musical compositions. It comes with loops that can be stretched, shrunk and pitch-corrected as you desire. It also allows you to record live audio tracks, and play virtual instruments via MIDI input. The program includes professional effects, like reverb, distortion, compression and even pitch-correction.
I’m a frustrated garage musician from way back. I experimented with a couple of real garage bands as a teenager, but I wasn’t talented or dedicated enough to make anything out of it. Well folks, if you’re 17 in 2005, the excuses are gone. You can make excellent music with Garageband. To see what others are doing with Garageband, check out this website, www.macjams.com.
My experimentation has only dented the surface of what Garageband can do. Even though this is an entry-level program, you could spend months or years learning new things daily. There is one glaring deficiency in this version (v.2.0) of Garageband, and that is General Midi (GM) support. Real garage bands usually learn their trade by learning cover songs. General Midi files of thousands of tunes are available on the web, but Garageband doesn’t make it easy to work with them. Garageband claims to have added General Midi import in this version, and that’s true to a point. You can import the sequences into the program, but since Garageband doesn’t come with a GM soundset, the individual parts are often mapped to instrument sounds that are quite different from the original source. Sometimes this creates an interesting change, and sometimes not. Sadly, Garageband does not export General Midi sequences at all.
Apple has shown that it intends to upgrade and supplement Garageband. Apple has already come out with several “Jampacks” of add-on loops and instruments. The Jampacks go for $99 each. At that price, if you are interested in recording your own instrumental tracks rather than using loops, I suggest you check out a product called Key Rig by M-Audio. For about the price of one JamPack, Key Rig is a set of four virtual instruments that can be used in GarageBand and other music programs that use “audio units”, the OS-X standard for audio. The first instrument is dedicated to piano, electric piano and clavinet. The second is a modeled tonewheel organ (ala Hammond B-3). The third is a polysynth. The fourth is a General Midi module. Early reviews of Key Rig have been very positive.
Glitches?
I haven’t had many glitches to report. Those that I have experienced have almost all come from two sources. The first is the HP 1610 printer that I got with the computer. The computer didn’t recognize the printer until I loaded the driver. After I loaded the driver, it worked for a while, then it didn’t. Then after I restarted the computer, it started working again. This type of behavior is acceptable in Windows but it stands out like a sore thumb in the Macintosh world.
The second glitch relates to the virtual OS-9 “Classic” that comes with, but is not pre-installed on, the iMac G5. For those who don’t know Mac history, this takes a brief history lesson. When OS-X debuted in 2001, it amounted to a clean break from the 9 major versions of the Macintosh operating system. Each of the previous nine versions had been built upon its predecessor. OS-X, on the other hand was based upon a version of UNIX called “Mach” as customized by NeXT Computer, a company that Steve Jobs founded and Apple bought. Because OS-X was a completely new operating system, Apple could only keep its faithful users if it came up with a way to transition them from their current OS to the new one without buying all new programs. At first that meant making computers that could “boot” in either operating system. As OS-X native programs proliferated, the preferred solution became to emulate OS-9 as an application running under OS-X. Just like the Windows of its day, OS-9 was not rock-stable. It could and did crash. And that brings me to my glitch experience. I have experienced several crashes, but every single one of them was a crash of an OS-9 application running in classic mode, and the crashes did not bring down my system or require a reboot.
Conclusions
The iMac G5 has delivered on my lofty expectations. OS-X is about as close to a crash-free operating system as you can get and is a refreshing change to the “blue screen of death” known as Windows. Whereas my previous computer was constantly reminding me that there was some form of virus or adware or pop-up trying to hop on my system, while working on the Mac, I don’t have to worry about such things. (Yes, I do run a firewall, the one built-in to the operating system.)
The built-in applications encourage one to work creatively and to try out new things. There are plenty of programs available for the Mac. The only area where the PC has a real world advantage is in the broad array of games available for the PC, but those same games cause a lot of the stability problems that PC users encounter.
If I were to suggest any changes to Apple, I’d suggest adding a television tuner, or at least a video input (other than the Firewire and USB 2.0 connectors which it has). In fact, there are television tuners that you can attach to the iMac, so maybe one day I’ll splurge. For would-be iMac buyers, I suggest that you consider the model with the 20” display if your budget will stretch that far. If yours won’t, the 17” is nice as is.
The Future
As I write this, in early October 2005, the rumor mill is rife with predictions for Apple’s new product announcements scheduled for October 12. The best guess is that this round will focus on the Professional lines, the PowerMacs and PowerBooks. Maybe the iMac will get a speed bump. If so: great. If not, you might want to consider the iMac anyway. Usually, when Apple goes 6 months without bumping a product, they’ll drop the price a bit, or introduce a rebate. This version came out in May 2005, so by November an upgrade or price drop should be expected.
You may have read that Apple plans to shift from the PowerPC processor to Intel chips in 2006. Maybe next year’s Macs will be a lot more powerful and significantly cheaper. Maybe the transition will be glitch-free. Maybe it won’t. This year’s models are pretty stable and useful. In the computer world, that’s no small achievement.
(Review Copyright October 2005, S. Hofer “Hof’s Blog”)
Monday, October 10, 2005
Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2005
Meet Li Ka-shing - the richest person you've never heard of
Here's how Forbes.com describes Hong Kong Billionaire Li Ka-shing.
Centered on the conglomerates Hutchinson Whampoa and Cheung Kong, Li's empire spans 40 countries and accounts for 11.5% of Hong Kong's stock market value. Leading real estate developer, cell phone provider and retailer, and the major supplier of electricity in Hong Kong. Also the world's largest operator of container terminals.
You could base a great James Bond villian on this guy.
Mr. Ka-shing is in the news now because he gave half a million dollars to aid in the Pakistan earthquake relief.
Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2005: "Li Ka-shing"
Here's how Forbes.com describes Hong Kong Billionaire Li Ka-shing.
Centered on the conglomerates Hutchinson Whampoa and Cheung Kong, Li's empire spans 40 countries and accounts for 11.5% of Hong Kong's stock market value. Leading real estate developer, cell phone provider and retailer, and the major supplier of electricity in Hong Kong. Also the world's largest operator of container terminals.
You could base a great James Bond villian on this guy.
Mr. Ka-shing is in the news now because he gave half a million dollars to aid in the Pakistan earthquake relief.
Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2005: "Li Ka-shing"
Analyst: GM bankruptcy risk up to 30% after Delphi filing - Oct. 10, 2005
Analyst: Chances of GM Bankruptcy = 30%
Analyst: GM bankruptcy risk up to 30% after Delphi filing - Oct. 10, 2005
Analyst: GM bankruptcy risk up to 30% after Delphi filing - Oct. 10, 2005
The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Driverless VW declared winner of $2 million robot race
Five Robot Cars complete DARPA Race
Nobody finished last year.
The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Driverless VW declared winner of $2 million robot race
Nobody finished last year.
The Seattle Times: Nation & World: Driverless VW declared winner of $2 million robot race
GM shares, Delphi bonds tumble on bankruptcy filing - Oct. 10, 2005
GM Stock down 5% on News of Delphi Bankruptcy
Can Delphi Bankrupt GM?
GM shares are down 5% today in early trading in the wake of the Delphi bankruptcy. According to CNN, the Delphi bankruptcy could cost GM as much as $11 Billion.
Honestly, none of this should have come as any surprise to investers, and the Delphi bankruptcy should have been priced into the stock.
Can a big Delphi loss bankrupt GM? I looked at GM's market cap. It's now at about 15.4 Billion. (The market cap, or market capitalization, is the total value of all outstanding shares at current prices. The book value per share was $44.00, though, so a balance sheet bankruptcy appears to be some ways off. Keep in mind, a cash-flow bankruptcy could be a much more real proposition. Many of GM's current marketplace problems are caused in part by a lack of cash flow compared to its competitors. A low gross margin causes a shortage of money for R&D across its car lines. This competitive disadvantage is likely to get worse before it gets better.
GM shares, Delphi bonds tumble on bankruptcy filing - Oct. 10, 2005
Can Delphi Bankrupt GM?
GM shares are down 5% today in early trading in the wake of the Delphi bankruptcy. According to CNN, the Delphi bankruptcy could cost GM as much as $11 Billion.
Honestly, none of this should have come as any surprise to investers, and the Delphi bankruptcy should have been priced into the stock.
Can a big Delphi loss bankrupt GM? I looked at GM's market cap. It's now at about 15.4 Billion. (The market cap, or market capitalization, is the total value of all outstanding shares at current prices. The book value per share was $44.00, though, so a balance sheet bankruptcy appears to be some ways off. Keep in mind, a cash-flow bankruptcy could be a much more real proposition. Many of GM's current marketplace problems are caused in part by a lack of cash flow compared to its competitors. A low gross margin causes a shortage of money for R&D across its car lines. This competitive disadvantage is likely to get worse before it gets better.
GM shares, Delphi bonds tumble on bankruptcy filing - Oct. 10, 2005
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Delphi Files Chapter 11
Delphi Enters Chapter 11 - Employees Enter Chapter of Uncertainty
The Detroit news has comprehensive coverage on the bankruptcy of the country's largest automotive parts supplier.
The Detroit news has comprehensive coverage on the bankruptcy of the country's largest automotive parts supplier.
Earthquake in Pakistan kills more than 1000
Earthquake in Pakistan kills over 1,000
So as we are coping with the destruction caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a natural disaster even more devastating in terms of human lives lost has hit central Asia.
We should help out but we're kind of strapped. What can we do. Let's get Mikey . . .
So as we are coping with the destruction caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a natural disaster even more devastating in terms of human lives lost has hit central Asia.
We should help out but we're kind of strapped. What can we do. Let's get Mikey . . .
Shutterfly | Slideshow
Mr. Six says it's Playtime: Pictures of Post-Katrina Six Flags New Orleans
Some of the most interesting post-hurricane pictures that I've seen are the private pictures at this link:
Shutterfly | Slideshow
Some of the most interesting post-hurricane pictures that I've seen are the private pictures at this link:
Shutterfly | Slideshow
Indianapolis Evan Bayh/All America Committee October Meetup - Indianapolis Evan Bayh/All America Committee Meetup Group - Meetup.com
Evan Bayh For President All America Committee Update - October
Last month, the Evan Bayh for President group at meetup.com had 4 members. This month - the curve has no slope - the number is 4. If this is a bandwagon, there's room in the wagon to stretch your legs.
Indianapolis Evan Bayh/All America Committee October Meetup - Indianapolis Evan Bayh/All America Committee Meetup Group - Meetup.com
Last month, the Evan Bayh for President group at meetup.com had 4 members. This month - the curve has no slope - the number is 4. If this is a bandwagon, there's room in the wagon to stretch your legs.
Indianapolis Evan Bayh/All America Committee October Meetup - Indianapolis Evan Bayh/All America Committee Meetup Group - Meetup.com
Friday, October 07, 2005
Delphi demand: Brutal cuts - 10/07/05
Delphi Demands UAW Wage Cut to $10.00 Per Hour
To avert bankruptcy, Dephi is demanding wage cuts from $26.35 to $10 to $12 per hour. Vacation pay - 6 weeks down to 4. They want to end the job bank. They want to cut healthcare back to what the salaried employees get.
Delphi demand: Brutal cuts - 10/07/05
To avert bankruptcy, Dephi is demanding wage cuts from $26.35 to $10 to $12 per hour. Vacation pay - 6 weeks down to 4. They want to end the job bank. They want to cut healthcare back to what the salaried employees get.
Delphi demand: Brutal cuts - 10/07/05
USATODAY.com - White House: U.S., allies have foiled terror plots
What if you gave a "Major Speech" and nobody came?
Yesterday, President Bush gave a "major speech" about Iraq and terrorism, and the major television networks didn't cover it. The only place that I could hear it was on NPR. Ironically, some of the Republicans would have had it their way, there wouldn't be an NPR. Anyway, I couldn't listen to much, because I had to get some work done. People calling me? I read the recaps in the paper today. I didn't miss much. Bush said they have foiled 10 major terrorist plots. USA Today (linked) gives a brief description. It appears no evidence was given, so these attacks may have been as real as the weapons of mass destruction. We probably will never see any proof since everything should be secret due to national security -- unless you are an undercover CIA agent married to a troublemaker.
It would have been better if Bush would have never made the speech at all, since he really gave us no reason to believe that he has the Iraq situation in hand. Mike Brown for President anyone?
USATODAY.com - White House: U.S., allies have foiled terror plots
Yesterday, President Bush gave a "major speech" about Iraq and terrorism, and the major television networks didn't cover it. The only place that I could hear it was on NPR. Ironically, some of the Republicans would have had it their way, there wouldn't be an NPR. Anyway, I couldn't listen to much, because I had to get some work done. People calling me? I read the recaps in the paper today. I didn't miss much. Bush said they have foiled 10 major terrorist plots. USA Today (linked) gives a brief description. It appears no evidence was given, so these attacks may have been as real as the weapons of mass destruction. We probably will never see any proof since everything should be secret due to national security -- unless you are an undercover CIA agent married to a troublemaker.
It would have been better if Bush would have never made the speech at all, since he really gave us no reason to believe that he has the Iraq situation in hand. Mike Brown for President anyone?
USATODAY.com - White House: U.S., allies have foiled terror plots
Lawsuit slams Delphi
More Mess at Delphi
The Tort of Deepening Insolvency?
Institutional investors have filed lawsuits claiming misleading accounting at Delphi.
I don't know the specifics of the legal claims raised so far, but I suspect there will be more in the future. I recently attended an Indiana Law Update CLE seminar in which the "tort of deepening insolvency" was discussed. Huh? What's that. It's the tort directors and management commits when a company is insolvent, can't become solvent and keeps in business anyway. Invariably some creditors come out better than others. I have a hunch that we will all learn more about the tort of deepening insolvency just by following the progession of the Delphi case.
Lawsuit slams Delphi
The Tort of Deepening Insolvency?
Institutional investors have filed lawsuits claiming misleading accounting at Delphi.
I don't know the specifics of the legal claims raised so far, but I suspect there will be more in the future. I recently attended an Indiana Law Update CLE seminar in which the "tort of deepening insolvency" was discussed. Huh? What's that. It's the tort directors and management commits when a company is insolvent, can't become solvent and keeps in business anyway. Invariably some creditors come out better than others. I have a hunch that we will all learn more about the tort of deepening insolvency just by following the progession of the Delphi case.
Lawsuit slams Delphi
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Digging the Dirt on Harriet Miers: Just Another Sleazy Corporate Lawyer (edstrong.blog-city.com)
Could Miers have a grudge against class action lawyers?
Perhaps. The law firm she managed was hit with a multi-million class action form. All they did was represent the proprietor of a ponzi scheme.
Digging the Dirt on Harriet Miers: Just Another Sleazy Corporate Lawyer (edstrong.blog-city.com)
Perhaps. The law firm she managed was hit with a multi-million class action form. All they did was represent the proprietor of a ponzi scheme.
Digging the Dirt on Harriet Miers: Just Another Sleazy Corporate Lawyer (edstrong.blog-city.com)
MercuryNews.com | 10/05/2005 | Bush weighs using military if a flu pandemic hits U.S.
Bush to Use Troops to Squash Flu Bug
President George W. Bush, apparently realizing that he's gone several days since he made a decision without thinking things through, announced that he would consider using the military to impose a quarantine in the case of a flu outbreak. I'm sure that eased some minds.
MercuryNews.com | 10/05/2005 | Bush weighs using military if a flu pandemic hits U.S.
President George W. Bush, apparently realizing that he's gone several days since he made a decision without thinking things through, announced that he would consider using the military to impose a quarantine in the case of a flu outbreak. I'm sure that eased some minds.
MercuryNews.com | 10/05/2005 | Bush weighs using military if a flu pandemic hits U.S.
Toyota buys into Subaru as GM drops its share - 10/05/05
GM is Selling its State in Subaru
For now Toyota is buying 8.7% of the Fuji Heavy Industries stock owned by General Motors. GM also announced plans to liquidate the remaining 11.7% of Fuji tht it owns.
I find this interesting for a couple of reasons. First, GM had been bringing Subaru closer into the fold in recent years, with Subaru building cars for GM's Saab unit. Secondly, it appears that GM's total investment in Subaru will bring in well less than $1 Billion -- at best 1/4 of what it takes to develop a new car line. GM's annual healthcare costs in the U.S. alone are $6 Billion. Bottom Line: is GM selling out its future for current cash flow?
Toyota buys into Subaru as GM drops its share - 10/05/05
For now Toyota is buying 8.7% of the Fuji Heavy Industries stock owned by General Motors. GM also announced plans to liquidate the remaining 11.7% of Fuji tht it owns.
I find this interesting for a couple of reasons. First, GM had been bringing Subaru closer into the fold in recent years, with Subaru building cars for GM's Saab unit. Secondly, it appears that GM's total investment in Subaru will bring in well less than $1 Billion -- at best 1/4 of what it takes to develop a new car line. GM's annual healthcare costs in the U.S. alone are $6 Billion. Bottom Line: is GM selling out its future for current cash flow?
Toyota buys into Subaru as GM drops its share - 10/05/05
Lott: 'Not comfortable' with Miers' nomination - MSNBC TV Live - MSNBC.com
Trent Lott is not Comfortable with Miers - Is that Good or Bad?
My first impression would be to eagerly back Harriet Miers for Supreme Court Justice, because there's nothing like making Trent Lott uncomfortable. On the other hand, this is an area where we have a consensus.
The only people who are giddy about this pick are likely the writers of Saturday Night Live who have probably already noticed the resemblance between Ms. Miers and SNL cast member Rachel Dratch. (There are 61 Google hits on "Miers and "Dratch".)
The level of croneyism in in the Bush Administration is nothing short of astounding. At almost the same time an issue of Newsweek started to come off the press with a cover story on crooneyism in the White House, GWB nominated his personal lawyer for Supreme Court Justice. Why Ms. Miers? I can only guess. Looking for a Supreme Court Justice is hard. It's hard work. It's a good thing that W has daughters, otherwise the Texas Rangers would have drafted members of George W's son's little league team. Maybe Mike Brown would have been a better choice. After all, Mike is a lawyer too. He has experience running an important government agency (running into the ground, but running it nevertheless), and most importantly, thanks to his equine background, Mike knows a horse's ass when he sees one. Harriet Miers once described George W. Bush as "the most intelligent man I ever met." Don't get out much there, do you Harriet? (As I write this, there are 896 Google hits sharing "Mike Brown" and "Harriet Miers".)
Lott: 'Not comfortable' with Miers' nomination - MSNBC TV Live - MSNBC.com
My first impression would be to eagerly back Harriet Miers for Supreme Court Justice, because there's nothing like making Trent Lott uncomfortable. On the other hand, this is an area where we have a consensus.
The only people who are giddy about this pick are likely the writers of Saturday Night Live who have probably already noticed the resemblance between Ms. Miers and SNL cast member Rachel Dratch. (There are 61 Google hits on "Miers and "Dratch".)
The level of croneyism in in the Bush Administration is nothing short of astounding. At almost the same time an issue of Newsweek started to come off the press with a cover story on crooneyism in the White House, GWB nominated his personal lawyer for Supreme Court Justice. Why Ms. Miers? I can only guess. Looking for a Supreme Court Justice is hard. It's hard work. It's a good thing that W has daughters, otherwise the Texas Rangers would have drafted members of George W's son's little league team. Maybe Mike Brown would have been a better choice. After all, Mike is a lawyer too. He has experience running an important government agency (running into the ground, but running it nevertheless), and most importantly, thanks to his equine background, Mike knows a horse's ass when he sees one. Harriet Miers once described George W. Bush as "the most intelligent man I ever met." Don't get out much there, do you Harriet? (As I write this, there are 896 Google hits sharing "Mike Brown" and "Harriet Miers".)
Lott: 'Not comfortable' with Miers' nomination - MSNBC TV Live - MSNBC.com
Class Status Sought for 'Dr. Phil' Diet Case - OrlandoSentinel.com: Health & Medicine
Class Action Suit Filed Against Dr. Phil
Allegedly his diet products aren't based on sound scientific principles. Personally, I don't know why he's even in the diet food business in the first place. I've never heard anyone say "hey, I want to look like THAT guy."
Class Status Sought for 'Dr. Phil' Diet Case - OrlandoSentinel.com: Health & Medicine
Allegedly his diet products aren't based on sound scientific principles. Personally, I don't know why he's even in the diet food business in the first place. I've never heard anyone say "hey, I want to look like THAT guy."
Class Status Sought for 'Dr. Phil' Diet Case - OrlandoSentinel.com: Health & Medicine
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
:: rogerebert.com :: The Yes Men
The Remote Labor Theory and the Race to the Bottom
Roger Ebert on The Yes Men
There was a movie released last year that I never heard about titled The Yes Men. Here's the preamble to Roger Ebert's review. The entire review is linked below.
From an economic point of view, the Civil War was the least profitable of all our wars, because the destruction of lives and property involved Americans on both sides. In our other wars, most of the lives and property belonged to foreigners. The war was fought to abolish slavery, but slavery would soon have faded away on its own, because it made no economic sense. Think how much it costs to support a slave.
The involuntary servitude of imported labor, which is what slavery amounts to, has been replaced in our times by the much more efficient system of exporting jobs to countries that are poor to begin with, and thus have lower maintenance costs for labor. This "remote labor" is the natural alternative to slavery, and, as a bonus, there is no reason for the worker not to be free. Thus he is responsible for his own housing, feeding and medical care -- which can be at a cost level much lower than a slave owner could safely provide.
The new "remote labor system," enforced by the World Trade Organization through its system of loans and regulations for poor countries, is much more efficient for First World capitalism. It exports manufacturing and assembly jobs to Third World countries where athletic shoes, clothing, home appliances, tools, computers and toys are assembled by labor forces paid only pennies an hour. The use of child labor further reduces the cost, and removing the children from school diminishes the threat of educated opposition to the system.
On the statements above we can all agree, right? Or was there a point at which you realized I was making an outrageous and immoral argument, and you were offended? I ask because when a fake "spokesman" for the World Trade Organization made the same argument before a WTO trade forum in Finland, the audience listened politely, applauded, and had no questions.
"The Yes Men" is a disturbing documentary in which a couple of tricksters named Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum create a fictional WTO spokesman named Hank Hardy Unruh, and a fake WTO Web site where he can be contacted. Real-world groups contact Hank Hardy, and he flies out to their meetings to deliver a speech at which he summarizes the anti-WTO argument in terms the audience, incredibly, absorbs and passively accepts. Apparently (a) no one is really listening, (b) no one is thinking, or (c) the immorality of the WTO's exploitation of cheap foreign labor becomes invisible when it is described in purely economic terms. Answer: All three, which is why the United States and the other nations controlling the WTO can live with the inhuman cost of its policies, and why so many people simply don't understand what the demonstrators at world trade forums are so mad about.
:: rogerebert.com :: The Yes Men
Roger Ebert on The Yes Men
There was a movie released last year that I never heard about titled The Yes Men. Here's the preamble to Roger Ebert's review. The entire review is linked below.
From an economic point of view, the Civil War was the least profitable of all our wars, because the destruction of lives and property involved Americans on both sides. In our other wars, most of the lives and property belonged to foreigners. The war was fought to abolish slavery, but slavery would soon have faded away on its own, because it made no economic sense. Think how much it costs to support a slave.
The involuntary servitude of imported labor, which is what slavery amounts to, has been replaced in our times by the much more efficient system of exporting jobs to countries that are poor to begin with, and thus have lower maintenance costs for labor. This "remote labor" is the natural alternative to slavery, and, as a bonus, there is no reason for the worker not to be free. Thus he is responsible for his own housing, feeding and medical care -- which can be at a cost level much lower than a slave owner could safely provide.
The new "remote labor system," enforced by the World Trade Organization through its system of loans and regulations for poor countries, is much more efficient for First World capitalism. It exports manufacturing and assembly jobs to Third World countries where athletic shoes, clothing, home appliances, tools, computers and toys are assembled by labor forces paid only pennies an hour. The use of child labor further reduces the cost, and removing the children from school diminishes the threat of educated opposition to the system.
On the statements above we can all agree, right? Or was there a point at which you realized I was making an outrageous and immoral argument, and you were offended? I ask because when a fake "spokesman" for the World Trade Organization made the same argument before a WTO trade forum in Finland, the audience listened politely, applauded, and had no questions.
"The Yes Men" is a disturbing documentary in which a couple of tricksters named Mike Bonanno and Andy Bichlbaum create a fictional WTO spokesman named Hank Hardy Unruh, and a fake WTO Web site where he can be contacted. Real-world groups contact Hank Hardy, and he flies out to their meetings to deliver a speech at which he summarizes the anti-WTO argument in terms the audience, incredibly, absorbs and passively accepts. Apparently (a) no one is really listening, (b) no one is thinking, or (c) the immorality of the WTO's exploitation of cheap foreign labor becomes invisible when it is described in purely economic terms. Answer: All three, which is why the United States and the other nations controlling the WTO can live with the inhuman cost of its policies, and why so many people simply don't understand what the demonstrators at world trade forums are so mad about.
:: rogerebert.com :: The Yes Men
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
GM & Ford See Double Digit Sales Losses
Toyota & Honda See Double Digit Gains
September sales tanked for GM & Ford, especially sales of SUVS. GM's full-size SUV's were down 50% compared to last year.
Sales of more fuel efficient vehicles were up.
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Toyota & Honda See Double Digit Gains
September sales tanked for GM & Ford, especially sales of SUVS. GM's full-size SUV's were down 50% compared to last year.
Sales of more fuel efficient vehicles were up.
Latest Reports - The Detroit News Online
Monday, October 03, 2005
MSN Money - When paying bills can hurt your credit
True or False: Paying off an Old Debt Can Hurt Your Credit Score?
TRUE
MSN Money - When paying bills can hurt your credit
TRUE
MSN Money - When paying bills can hurt your credit
Google Proposes Wireless Net For San Francisco
Will Google Be Your Next Telephone Company?
Google has sent a proposal to the city of San Francisco to set up a free wi-fi network covering the entire city. How would Google pay for it? Advertising. If this pilot program is successful, Google (and competitors) could replicate it all over the world. Once people get wi-fi for free, they could start thinking about getting rid of their DSL and/or cable modems. Once they get rid of their DSL and cable modems, they start thinking about getting rid of their local land line service. You can see why the baby bells don't exactly like this technology.
Google Proposes Wireless Net For San Francisco
Google has sent a proposal to the city of San Francisco to set up a free wi-fi network covering the entire city. How would Google pay for it? Advertising. If this pilot program is successful, Google (and competitors) could replicate it all over the world. Once people get wi-fi for free, they could start thinking about getting rid of their DSL and/or cable modems. Once they get rid of their DSL and cable modems, they start thinking about getting rid of their local land line service. You can see why the baby bells don't exactly like this technology.
Google Proposes Wireless Net For San Francisco
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