---
METROPOLISMAG.COM: Chateua Dino_The Shifting Face of Luxury
DOC.MARTENS: http://youtu.be/_4VCpTZye10
--
--
MY FAVORITES|DINO:666
--
METROPOLIS: The Shifting Face of Luxury
METROPOLIS: The Shifting Face of Luxury
Investors.com/options
WSJMarkets.com: KEEPING SCORE
The name says it all: Rough Luxe is an elegant combination of raw elements and clean finishes. The hotel, designed by Rabih Hage (and is connected to the Rabih Hage Gallery via its courtyard), doesn’t take its use of “rough” lightly.
HOME: 230 Park Avenue, Penhouse Octplex
That is, the hotel has some a-typical policies, that might not agree with many visitors. Many rooms don’t have TVs, while others might have to share a bathroom. But for those more interested in experience and interaction rather than standardized pampering.
Rough Luxe is a gem.
Located in a Grade II Georgian townhouse—meaning that renovation options are limited—the hotel is all about personalized catering. They won’t send you to a posh hairdresser, rather they’ll let you know about their favorite neighborhood Greek barber.
If you don’t want to leave the hotel for a bite to eat, they’ll cook for you. Or if you don’t know anyone in the city, they’ll invite you to dine with them. The beauty here is in the details: copper baths, eclectic contemporary art, distressed walls, vintage ceramic sinks and so much more.
With only nine rooms, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into an elegant rabbit hole that you can briefly call home.
Footnote: http://www.roughluxe.co.uk/
--
Title: Black Holes and Revelations
Length: 48:12
Release date: 2006
Record Label: Helium 3
Catalogue Number: HEL3002CD
| Take A Bow | 04:35 | View lyrics |
| Starlight | 04:03 | View lyrics |
| Supermassive Black Hole | 03:29 | View lyrics |
| Map Of The Problematique | 04:18 | View lyrics |
| Soldier's Poem | 02:04 | View lyrics |
| Invincible | 05:00 | View lyrics |
| Assassin | 03:31 | View lyrics |
| Exo-Politics | 03:53 | View lyrics |
| City Of Delusion | 04:48 | View lyrics |
| Hoodoo | 03:43 | View lyrics |
| Knights Of Cydonia | 06:07 | View lyrics |
| Glorious |
FT.COM: The Lex Column
MG: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7536527.stm
MG: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7536527.stm
--![https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFZ-n3IuoruK9H9kQymN9AyvplOyiULKaUapLS-9a09F1kWZIJAnGR3ldcWT4XlJp3-4Oh5GMCsEOF375GET9TuJjTC4utxldiEddZQiJb2GlptgF9UuZssniMs9e4MtlMpbPIA5NRzk/s400/SilverSurfer.gif]()
--
[MUSE: How To Become Top Banana]-->[TIME MAGAZINE: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,38423,00.html]
| Banana |
|---|
---
--
Out of Trouble® 10 minute mask to rescue problem skin |
| When skin is too-slick or when more pressing problems start to pop up, it’s Origins to the rescue to keep skin out of trouble. Nature’s trouble-shooters, including super-absorbent Zinc Oxide and Sulfur, calming Camphor plus skin-sloughing Salicylic Acid, rapidly respond to problem skin’s plight with a three-part plan - sop up oily-shine, slough off sticky, dead cells, and sweep away irksome debris. Together they steer skin clear of slippery situations, refine rough texture and pull the plug on troublemakers to oust potential outbursts. HOW TO USE: Layer over clean face and throat. Avoid eye area. Wait 10 minutes. Remove with damp washcloth. |
Out of Trouble Mask: Trouble Sports Contract
Martin Marion: marty@digm.net, mrblue@motorious.com
Summerville, S.C., Rick Reinert has built a small business called Reha Enterprises that sells bath oil, soap and other supplies. But now he is selling many of his products, imported from Germany, at no profit or at a loss. This is the result of an order by the U.S. government.
In New York City, Arthur Kaplan, owner of Galaxy of Graphics Ltd., a retailer of decorative prints, has stopped selling the popular English lithographs produced for him by a venerable London art dealer for two decades. This is the result of an order by the U.S. government.
In Somerset, Wis., Timothy Dove, who heads a 17-year-old family business called Action Battery, which sells and installs industrial batteries, has lost a quarter-million-dollar account and faces the prospect of more losses to come. This is the result of an order by the U.S. government.
What's going on here?
Nearly a year ago, the Clinton Administration imposed a 100% tariff on the products these three businesses and hundreds of others like them import and sell. That's sort of like charging you $40,000 for a $20,000 Ford Taurus.
What did these folks do to encourage the wrath of the White House? Absolutely nothing. It was what they didn't do that matters. They neglected to make huge campaign contributions or hire high-powered Washington lobbyists to plead their case.
Reinert, Kaplan and Dove are what the military refers to as collateral damage--unwitting victims of what will go down in economic history as the Great Banana War. Except that for these victims, collateral is up close and very personal.
This is partly the story of Carl H. Lindner Jr. of Cincinnati, a certified member since 1982 of the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans, who has a personal fortune estimated at $800 million and has been a very large contributor to political candidates, both Democratic and Republican.
But mostly this is a story about people who get hurt by contributions, who are paying a steep personal price because of the influence exercised by unlimited money in elections and lobbying. These human casualties are mostly unchronicled, but you can count them in the millions. They are your friends and neighbors.
In simplest terms, Lindner, whose company has dominated the global trade in bananas for a century, was in 1993 frustrated because European countries limited imports of his bananas. He complained to the U.S. government, which complained to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which authorized the U.S. government to retaliate by imposing a stiff tariff--in effect, a tax--on select European goods shipped to this country.
So which goods to attack? President Clinton could have slapped the 100% tariff on, say, Mercedes-Benz autos imported from Germany, fine wines from France, or elegant women's shoes from Italy. But that might have provoked retaliation by the Europeans against major American exports. So instead the President chose to punish smaller and less important European companies--companies that furnished bath products to Reinert, prints to Kaplan and batteries to Dove. In short, the Administration came down with a heavy foot on relatively powerless citizens. People who, like 99% of the population, contribute little or no money directly to politicians.
How heavy was that foot? In Reinert's case, the U.S. government raised the tariff on his most popular product, an herbal foam bath, from just under 5% to 100%. His U.S. Customs bill for the last six months of 1999 spiraled to $37,783 from just $1,851--a 1,941% tax increase.
For a small business, that's strong poison. Indeed, when Reinert called the office of U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky to describe his plight, an official there expressed amazement. "[They] were very surprised I was still importing," recalls Reinert. "They thought the tariff would cut off the industry--shut it down. That was their intention. They wanted to kill that industry, whatever industry it is." That, naturally, would have meant killing Reinert's business as well.
Reinert did have an option. He could have found a way around paying the tax. Except it would have been illegal. Sort of like people working off the books to avoid paying income tax on their earnings. That's what many small-business people in Reinert's position are doing--fudging their import records. It's polite language for falsifying government documents. Each distinct type of product imported into the U.S. is assigned an individual code number. The tariff is collected on the basis of the code numbers. Thus changing a single numeral in the code will convert a taxable product into one that is not subject to tax.
Are the people doing this comfortable with their deception, which an ambitious federal prosecutor could turn into a conviction accompanied by a large fine and prison sentence? Absolutely not. But it's a matter of survival. Further, they figure, if the U.S. government decides to take care of a multinational business whose owner, his family and his fellow executives contribute millions of dollars to political candidates and their parties--and to punish small businesses whose owners do not contribute--then why not cheat?
At age 80, Lindner sits atop a corporate agglomeration that includes American Financial Group, Inc., an insurance business (annual revenue: $4 billion); Chiquita Brands International, Inc., the fruit-and-vegetable giant ($2.7 billion); and an array of other businesses, including Provident Financial Group, Inc., a bank holding company (assets: $8 billion); and American Heritage Homes, one of Florida's largest builders.
At American Heritage, Lindner has been a business partner since 1996 with the king of Democratic fund raisers, Terence McAuliffe, described by an admiring Vice President Al Gore as "the greatest fund raiser in the history of the universe." McAuliffe has raised tens of millions of dollars for the Democratic Party, for President Clinton's 1996 re-election campaign, for the President's legal-defense fund, for the President's library and for Hillary Clinton's New York Senate run.
Since 1990, political contributions of $1,000 or more by Lindner, members of his family, his companies and their executives have added up to well over $5 million. Most of the money has gone to the Republican Party and its candidates. But at strategic moments, Lindner has made hefty contributions to the Clinton Administration.
The short version of the money story is this: Europe first offended Lindner when it imposed import restrictions on bananas from Latin America, where his plantations are located. Lindner then contributed a quarter of a million dollars to the Democrats. Gore called and asked for more money. Lindner gave it. And then some more. So much more that Lindner had dinner in the White House, attended a coffee klatch there for the truly generous and slept in the Lincoln Bedroom. Along the way, he periodically met with then U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor and his staff, the officials who ultimately sought the trade sanctions intended to punish the Europeans and force them to give Lindner what he wanted.
Clinton's people weren't the only ones looking after Lindner. Members of Congress--Democrats and Republicans, fund raisers all, beneficiaries themselves of Lindner's largesse--called or wrote or met with Kantor and the President to encourage action on behalf of Chiquita. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the Republican majority leader in the Senate, did it. So did John Glenn, at the time a Democratic Senator from Ohio. And Republican Congressman Jim Bunning of Kentucky, now a Senator. And Charles Stenholm, the Democratic Representative from Texas. And Richard Lugar, the Republican Senator from Indiana. And Mike DeWine, the Republican Senator from Ohio. And, of course, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senator from Kentucky, who is Congress's most strident advocate of unlimited money in elections.
On April 19, 1999, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed the punitive tariffs on nine types of European goods. To be sure, trade experts outside the European Union generally agree that the restrictive banana policies do violate free-trade rules. Indeed, four global trade panels have reached that conclusion over the years. But restrictive trade policies are hardly peculiar to Europe. The U.S. has its own, notably those that restrict the free access of sugar and peanuts to the American market.
The Clinton Administration has been less than forthcoming about its relationship with the banana baron. In response to repeated TIME requests for documents relating to the decision to seek the WTO's help with the banana dispute, the U.S. Trade Representative's office stalled, saying it was having trouble coordinating its many files. When it finally began turning over documents last December, many were censored or blank, with the USTR claiming that release of the information would "constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
Carl Lindner began investing in bananas in the 1970s, and by 1984 he had acquired a controlling interest in one of America's enduring brand names. Lindner and his family, through their American Financial Group, own 40% of the outstanding shares in Chiquita Brands International, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Banana Baron's Lament
Carl Lindner began investing in bananas in the 1970s, and by 1984 he had acquired a controlling interest in one of America's enduring brand names. Lindner and his family, through their American Financial Group, own 40% of the outstanding shares in Chiquita Brands International, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Before Lindner bought in, Chiquita Brands was the old United Fruit Co., a ruthless buccaneer that earned a justifiable reputation as a tyrant that bribed officials of foreign governments, used armed force to keep its workers in line and generally mistreated its thousands of dirt-poor laborers on impoverished Caribbean islands and Central American plantations. All of which helps explain why Chiquita was--and is--the world's dominant banana producer.
But how did it come to pass that the U.S. government launched a trade war over bananas at the expense of small American businesses, especially since the U.S. does not export bananas and Chiquita employs no American production workers?
It started with bananas in Europe. After World War II, the continent's banana market divided into two kinds. Such countries as Britain, France and Spain limited imports and gave preferential treatment to bananas grown in their former colonies. Thus Britain encouraged banana output in Jamaica, Dominica, St. Lucia; France extended special treatment to bananas grown in the Ivory Coast and the Cameroons. At the other extreme, Germany offered a free market with no import restrictions or tariffs.
Britain and France took the position that banana production was essential for both the economic health and the social well-being of their former colonies. By the late 1980s, about one-third of the work forces on the small island nations were employed in banana production.
Protected banana production, that is. Most of the bananas were grown on small family farms and tilled by hand on hilly terrain and poor soil, with little or no mechanization or irrigation. Yields were far below those in places like Honduras, Guatemala and Ecuador. In fact, the cost of growing bananas in the Caribbean was twice that for bananas produced on Latin American plantations. Without their favorable entree to Europe, the banana industries of these small islands might have disappeared.
Chiquita nevertheless cracked the British market through its ownership of a British subsidiary, Fyffes Ltd., which grew bananas in the former British colonies. British consumers paid a relatively high price for those bananas, but Chiquita's margin from this trade was still small compared with the profits from its efficient plantations in Latin America. By 1986, as the European Union began to take shape, Chiquita executives hoped the restrictions would be lifted and its low-cost bananas could take over the market. So Chiquita sold off its Fyffes subsidiary.
It would prove to be the first in a series of missteps by the Lindner-controlled company--suggesting at least the possibility that the ensuing banana war was really intended to bail out the Lindners from their costly business mistakes.
Meanwhile, in a tariff-free and quota-free Germany, Chiquita had seized 45% of the market. Envisioning the same potential for all of Europe, as well as the former Soviet satellites that were opening up, Chiquita and its chief competitor, Dole Food, decided in the early 1990s to pour more money into production and flood the European market with bananas. With more bananas than buyers, prices--and hence profits--plummeted.
Worse still, the E.U. announced that instead of an open market, which Chiquita had hoped for, it would expand the old system, with quotas and tariffs on bananas brought in from Latin America and preferential treatment for bananas grown in the former colonies. The new rules went into effect on July 1, 1993.
They certainly should not have come as a surprise to Chiquita, the U.S. government or anyone else. The signs had been clear for years that Europe intended to continue giving preferential status to bananas from its former colonies. An investment report prepared in October 1990 by the Wall Street firm of Shearson Lehman Bros., Inc., predicted that Europe, contrary to Chiquita's hopes, would maintain the status quo for years to come.
Even Chiquita knew at the time what it faced. In its 1992 annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company acknowledged that "although we will oppose these restrictive policies in the proper legal forums, we are prepared to adapt to this new regulated environment." By this time, Dole, the world's second largest banana producer and Chiquita's only real rival, had hedged its bets and arranged to acquire bananas from those countries with no tariffs and generous import quotas.
Meanwhile, Chiquita's business was tanking. From 1992 to 1994, the company racked up $407 million in losses. Its stock price plunged from $40 to $11 a share. In meetings with government officials, Chiquita laid the blame squarely on the E.U.'s trade restrictions. The U.S. Trade Representative and the rest of the Clinton Administration bought the line, at least officially. And to this day, Chiquita officials insist that's the case. Steven Warshaw, Chiquita's president, told TIME, "The E.U.'s illegal banana regime is the cause of the company's poor financial results since 1992. It would be absurd to conclude otherwise... It is well accepted that the E.U.'s banana regime was specifically designed to expropriate market share from U.S. banana interests to benefit European multinationals and other interests within the European market ... Our stock price declined precipitously, and our industry has been substantially damaged."
While there is little question that Chiquita's sales would be higher were it not for Europe's quota and licensing system, a close look at company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the past 15 years shows that a good portion of Chiquita's decline is attributable to other causes. In the years it posted record losses, Chiquita said in the SEC reports, its costs "were significantly impacted" by outbreaks of banana disease, bad weather, a strike by workers in Honduras, as well as shipping and operating losses from its "Japanese 'green' banana trading operations."
Banana pricing wars also took a toll, but even more telling, the company ran up its long-term debt so that cash payments for interest charges spiraled from $52.6 million in 1990 to $164.3 million in 1993. Even if Chiquita sales had reached the level the WTO said they would have in the absence of European restrictive policies, the company still would have recorded losses or, at best, a marginal profit. As a Wall Street investment analyst who tracked the banana industry put it in 1992, "we have serious doubts about the abilities of management to deal with the company's problems."
Over the 15 years ending in 1998, with the Lindners in control, Chiquita tallied total sales of $45 billion but profits of only $44 million. That's the equivalent of a $10,000 investment that returns 65[cents] a year. Not surprisingly, the company's stock is now trading at less than $5 a share.
In an SEC filing last December, a minority shareholder of Chiquita's reported that the Lindners were pondering an auction to sell off Chiquita. All of which may explain the money trail the Linders left behind in Washington.
Lindner, a nonsmoking, nondrinking, nonswearing Baptist, has been a major supporter of the Republican Party, its candidates and causes. This may account for the less than enthusiastic response that Lindner received when he first took his banana case to the Clinton Administration early in 1993. In fact, at that time the U.S. Trade Representative's internal memos show that bananas were a low priority for the U.S. government. What's more, USTR and State Department officials had given--and would continue to give--repeated assurances to leaders of Caribbean governments that the U.S. supported European preferences for their bananas. And not without good reason. Everyone was fearful that islanders unable to grow and sell bananas would turn to a much bigger cash crop--drugs.
Throwing Money at the Problem
Lindner, a nonsmoking, nondrinking, nonswearing Baptist, has been a major supporter of the Republican Party, its candidates and causes. This may account for the less than enthusiastic response that Lindner received when he first took his banana case to the Clinton Administration early in 1993. In fact, at that time the U.S. Trade Representative's internal memos show that bananas were a low priority for the U.S. government. What's more, USTR and State Department officials had given--and would continue to give--repeated assurances to leaders of Caribbean governments that the U.S. supported European preferences for their bananas. And not without good reason. Everyone was fearful that islanders unable to grow and sell bananas would turn to a much bigger cash crop--drugs.
It was against this background that in June of that year, Keith Lindner, then president of Chiquita and one of Carl's three sons in the family businesses, wrote a "Dear Ambassador" letter to Mickey Kantor outlining concerns over Europe's import restrictions. There was little response.
That December, Carl Lindner contributed a quarter of a million dollars to the Democratic National Committee, establishing himself as a generous supporter of both political parties.
Through the early months of 1994, the Lindner lobbying juggernaut concentrated on building congressional support to pressure the Clinton Administration into action. From January to August, lawmakers of both parties bombarded Clinton and Kantor with letters demanding action.
Among the more strident and persistent correspondents were Bob Dole, who would eventually campaign for the presidency aboard Lindner's corporate jet, and John Glenn, who counted Lindner as a campaign contributor.
In January, Dole and Glenn, along with Senator Richard Lugar, wrote to the President calling for "sustained interventions" with European Union officials to make clear that export quotas and licensing "are not an acceptable solution." By August, Dole and Glenn demanded that Kantor initiate a so-called 301 investigation. The name comes from a section of the 1974 trade law that gives the USTR authority to investigate foreign trade practices and impose tariffs in retaliation.
On Sept. 13, Dole arranged a breakfast meeting with Kantor and Lindner. A day later, according to an internal USTR memo, Kantor and his staff had a follow-up meeting with Lindner and his colleagues to discuss "possible strategies" to overturn the European quotas.
Over the years, the USTR has averaged only about five 301 investigations annually. Even rarer are cases in which the USTR has recommended punitive tariffs on the imports of the offending nation. The Chiquita case was rarer still--an instance in which the complaining company was not even a U.S. exporter. Two USTR staff members acknowledged this in a memo to Kantor on Oct. 13, 1994, saying that "if initiated, this investigation would break new ground, as this would be the first time that USTR had ever used Section 301 in connection with a product not exported from the United States but from elsewhere." Nonetheless, the staff members said "we have been persuaded by Chiquita that the practices here do have a significant effect on U.S. commerce." Lawyers for other U.S. corporations disagreed strongly. Natalie Shields, tax and trade counsel for Black & Decker, later captured the logic of the USTR decision this way: "This would inflict substantial harm on one U.S. company in an effort to benefit other U.S. companies which export bananas from third countries."
But the Clinton Administration liked the notion. On Monday, Oct. 17, 1994, Kantor authorized the 301 investigation. That Thursday night Lindner was in the White House, attending a dinner as a guest of the President. And the following week, Al Gore called Lindner, asking for another major donation. Lindner delivered. On Nov. 3, Lindner's American Financial Corp. donated $50,000 to the D.N.C. His Great American Holding Corp. donated $25,000, and his American Money Management kicked in $25,000, bringing the one-day total to $100,000.
At the same time, Senators Dole and Glenn kept the pressure on, urging Kantor in another letter on Nov. 17 to retaliate against the Europeans.
The following month, on Dec. 10, the Lindners again met with Kantor, after which they fired off a "Dear Mickey" letter, thanking him for his efforts.
At year's end, on Dec. 30, James E. Evans, a Lindner executive, contributed $150,000 to the D.N.C., bringing to $250,000 the sum that in one year Lindner, his companies and their executives poured into Democratic coffers.
On Jan. 3, 1995, four days after the latest Lindner-related contribution, Kantor announced "a list of retaliatory actions that he [was] considering against the European Union to counter E.U. policies which discriminate against U.S. banana marketing companies." Specifically, Kantor said he was contemplating sanctions "that would directly hit E.U. firms providing air, maritime and space transportation services."
On Thursday of the same week, Terry McAuliffe, Bill Clinton's moneyman and Lindner's home-building partner, sent a memo to Nancy Hernreich, one of the President's administrative assistants, summarizing a conversation he had had with the President on fund-raising activities. McAuliffe asked that overnight stays at the White House be arranged for major contributors; that dates be scheduled for contributors to have breakfast, lunch or coffee with the President; and that other contributors be included in such presidential activities as golf and jogging.
The next day another aide passed along a memo to Harold Ickes, the President's deputy chief of staff, saying that "Nancy has asked us to follow up on this at the President's direction and his note indicates 'promptly.'" The memo called for "overnights for top top supporters." Accompanying McAuliffe's memo was a 10-person list of those "top top" supporters prepared by McAuliffe. Prominently holding down the No. 2 slot: longtime Republican Carl H. Lindner.
Five weeks later, on Feb. 9, Lindner was in the White House at a state dinner honoring German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. After entertainment by Tony Bennett and a German chorus, Lindner went upstairs to bed. Less than two weeks later, he was back in the White House for coffee.
Throughout this period, Lindner's allies in Congress kept the pressure on the Clinton Administration. On June 21, Senator Dole wrote to Kantor: "I am concerned that time is running out in the banana case. U.S. banana companies are on the verge of suffering even greater irreparable damage as a result of the E.U. and Latin practices."
Cranking Up the Pressure
Throughout this period, Lindner's allies in Congress kept the pressure on the Clinton Administration. On June 21, Senator Dole wrote to Kantor: "I am concerned that time is running out in the banana case. U.S. banana companies are on the verge of suffering even greater irreparable damage as a result of the E.U. and Latin practices."
Kantor scribbled a note in the margin of the letter, addressed to Jeff N.--Jeffrey Nuechterlein, senior counsel to Kantor--and Jeffrey L.--Jeffrey Lang, one of his top aides: "Please give me a way to proceed. Pressure is going to grow. MK."
Kantor says he has no recollection of the note. "I don't remember writing it," he says. Lang doesn't remember it either. He recused himself from the banana dispute, he says, because before his appointment as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, he represented the European side in the WTO proceedings. Nuechterlein, likewise, doesn't remember anything about it. "I was not involved with bananas substantively," he says.
Dim memories aside, the pressure did indeed grow. On July 19 Carl and Keith Lindner wrote to Kantor again, expressing their dissatisfaction with proposals put forth by the Europeans to resolve the banana dispute. At least in the view of the Lindners, the war should be waged as a joint effort, with Chiquita and its ally, the U.S. government, on one side and the European Union Commission on the other.
On Aug. 3, the four-member Hawaiian congressional delegation sent a letter to Kantor saying they were prepared to talk about possible "international courses of action" against the E.U. As America's only state producing bananas--most were grown for consumption on the islands--Hawaii had an indirect stake in the outcome of the banana war; because Chiquita, Dole and other producers had flooded the European market, tariffs notwithstanding, the overflow had found its way back into the U.S., driving down retail prices.
The following day, Lindner's American Financial Corp. delivered an additional $100,000 to the D.N.C. A few days later, the Lindners met once again with Kantor. Two months went by. On Nov. 3, the Lindners advised Kantor's staff that it was "very important" they get together for 20 minutes. This particular meeting did not take place, but nine days later, on a Sunday night, Lindner was sitting behind Clinton at a presidential gala in Ford's Theatre.
As 1995 gave way to 1996, the money kept gushing from the Lindner empire, much of it in smaller, harder-to-trace donations. In February a Lindner executive gave $10,000 to the D.N.C., and American Financial Corp. contributed $15,000. In March, Lindner directed $10,000 each to the Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee and Iowa Democratic parties, $15,000 to the Michigan Democratic Party and $5,000 to the Connecticut Democratic Party. In April he steered $10,000 to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
With at least an additional $95,000 of Lindner money in the Democratic Party's bank accounts, the U.S. Trade Representative on May 8 took its banana case to the WTO. At long last, the Clinton Administration was ready to mount a global trade war on Lindner's behalf.
A spokesman for Chiquita dismissed the suggestion that campaign contributions by Lindner had anything to do with the USTR's taking the case. "It is well known that Carl Lindner has been actively involved and a major contributor to candidates and other causes on a multipartisan basis for many decades," he said.
Former Trade Representative Kantor also insisted that contributions played no part in his decision. "The staff made a unanimous recommendation to me that we bring the case," he said.
Of Lindner's contributions, Kantor said, "I couldn't have cared less. It made no difference to us whatsoever. We didn't hear a word from the White House."
Be that as it may, the USTR decision to pursue a trade war over bananas was sharply at odds with its handling of similar agricultural issues. Consider this: today, even with the tough trade restrictions still in place, Chiquita controls 20% of the European market. By way of contrast, the USTR has negotiated with Japan to allow American companies a 3% share of the Japanese market for rice.
In other words, the U.S. went to war on behalf of one American company that already had 20% of a foreign market, and it negotiated to secure 3% of another foreign market for the benefit of seven to 10 American companies.
Over the next two years, Lindner continued to dispense cash to the Democrats. In June 1997, two installments of $10,000 each went to the Democratic National Committee Services Corp. In November he gave $75,000 to the D.N.C. and in February 1998 another $75,000. That was followed by contributions of $10,000, $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $25,000 and $5,000.
Throughout this period, Lindner and Chiquita enjoyed a close working relationship with the USTR office. Copies of U.S. government correspondence with heads of state in other countries were voluntarily turned over to Lindner. Finally, on Nov. 10, 1998, the USTR proposed 100% tariffs on several dozen European imports. The agency said the increased tariffs would be imposed on March 3, 1999, if Europe did not relent and relax its restrictions on Latin American bananas.
The products included pecorino cheese, certain wines, apple juice, bath preparations, candles, furs, coniferous wood, paper boxes, lithographs, cashmere sweaters, women's suits, dresses, skirts, bed linens, scissors, sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, food grinders, windshield wipers, dolls, photographic equipment, chandeliers, glass Christmas ornaments, sweet biscuits, wafers, felt paper, plastic handbags, coffee or tea makers, electric toy trains, greeting cards, stoves and ballpoint pens.
In short, it was a list of products bearing absolutely no relation to bananas.
While government officials were assuring reporters that the tariffs would never be levied, the U.S.-based companies that would be affected were taking no chances. In all, 42 types of products were targeted for tariff increases and, as it had to do by law, the USTR asked interested parties to respond.
Respond they did, setting off a furious lobbying campaign to try to get off the banana hit list. Companies and politicians showered the agency with letters warning of potential job losses in their districts if the increased tariffs were imposed.
At a USTR hearing on Dec. 9 attended by trade associations and Washington lobbyists, various interest groups spoke out against the tariffs, saying they would cripple or possibly destroy their businesses.
"The imposition of a prohibitive duty on ballpoint pens would have a devastating effect on Gillette's writing-instruments business in the U.S.," a representative for the Gillette Co. warned.
"Subjecting these dolls to a 100% duty could well result in the collapse of the entire line of American Girl products," a representative for Mattel cautioned.
"The imposition of a 100% duty rate on articles of fur clothing and garments will seriously impact our members, making their garments outrageously expensive, even for a luxury product," declared a representative of the Fur Information Council of America.
Two weeks later, on Dec. 21, products imported by Gillette, Mattel and fur retailers, as well as those of some two dozen other trade groups and industries that testified at the hearing or lobbied the USTR, were dropped from the list.
More lobbying ensued. On April 19, when the final list was published, most of the goods once proposed for high tariffs had been stricken from the list. Only nine types of products were covered.
In announcing the final list, Barshefsky, who had replaced Kantor as U.S. Trade Representative, reiterated that the higher annual tariffs on European goods were in retaliation for Europe's refusal to change its import rules on bananas.
"It is proof that the system works," she said. "When members [of the WTO] refuse to live by the rules, they will pay a price." There was one major oversight in Barshefsky's reasoning: the wrong people were going to pay the price.
The Clinton Administration salvo aimed at giant European corporations hit Rick Reinert, Arthur Kaplan, Timothy Dove and other small entrepreneurs, whose only connection to bananas is to eat one every now and then.
Reinert is--or more accurately was--the typical American small-town, small-business success story. He grew up in LaPorte, Ind., and attended Western Kentucky University before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1975. He and his wife, whom he met during his Army stint in Germany, started their wholesale bath-supplies business in 1994 out of the family garage in Summerville, S.C., a pine tree-studded bedroom community of Charleston. "We began very meagerly," says Reinert. "We didn't have one account." By knocking on doors, attending an endless parade of trade shows and selecting the right representatives, they built a solid customer base of some 2,000 stores--gift shops, beauty salons, boutiques, grocery stores, independent pharmacies and a major drugstore chain. Their most popular items, which they buy from a German supplier and account for 60% of sales, are aromatic foam baths scented with herbs from lavender to rosemary. And these items were among the ones singled out by the USTR office for its trade war with Europe over bananas.
"I Thought It Was a Joke"
Reinert is--or more accurately was--the typical American small-town, small-business success story. He grew up in LaPorte, Ind., and attended Western Kentucky University before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1975. He and his wife, whom he met during his Army stint in Germany, started their wholesale bath-supplies business in 1994 out of the family garage in Summerville, S.C., a pine tree-studded bedroom community of Charleston. "We began very meagerly," says Reinert. "We didn't have one account." By knocking on doors, attending an endless parade of trade shows and selecting the right representatives, they built a solid customer base of some 2,000 stores--gift shops, beauty salons, boutiques, grocery stores, independent pharmacies and a major drugstore chain. Their most popular items, which they buy from a German supplier and account for 60% of sales, are aromatic foam baths scented with herbs from lavender to rosemary. And these items were among the ones singled out by the USTR office for its trade war with Europe over bananas.
Reinert remained blissfully unaware until January 1999 that he was on his way to war. That's when he first heard about the proposed tariffs. "I was at a Portland [Ore.] gift show...and I happened to read this little blurb in TIME about bath products. I thought it was a joke." He investigated. "It was no joke. We were on the potential hit list."
That's when Reinert started writing letters and calling everyone--his Congressman, his Senator, the USTR. It was during one of many conversations with a ustr staff member that he was told, in effect, it was his own fault that he had got caught up in the trade war. After all, the USTR had published a list of the targeted imports in the Federal Register. He should have attended the hearings in Washington, just like Gillette (annual sales: $10 billion) and Mattel ($5 billion). If he had, then Reha Enterprises (less than $1 million) might have been removed from the list as well.
Reinert is still fuming. "That's ridiculous. I mean, do you read the Federal Register? Does anybody in Summerville read the Federal Register?" The trade official suggested Reinert should have hired a lobbyist in Washington to keep him briefed. That one didn't go over well either. "I mean, we've got two kids. It's a small business," says Reinert. "Who in his right mind would come up with stuff like that?"
"We're only [six] years old," Reinert says. "Cash flow is always a problem. Finance is always a problem. But they are just destroying the base of our company."
What other advice has Reinert received from officials in the U.S. Trade Representative office and from the staffs of members of Congress?
He says one official urged him, off the record, to break the law--to change the number on the Customs invoice so it would appear that he was importing goods not subject to the tariff. Reinert demurred. "I could end up in jail for it," he says. "I don't want to be the only one without a chair when the music stops."
Another official chided Reinert for not buying American, a rebuke that angered him. Reinert responded, "'Why don't you go out in your parking lot and count all the Mercedes and Porsches, BMWs, Lexuses and Toyotas?' I mean, these are just ridiculous arguments."
In response to repeated calls and letters, Reinert heard personally from Barshefsky last August. The news was not good. Reinert, she suggested, was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time when the war started. She explained in her best bureaucratic language that it was legally impossible to remove Reinert's bath products from the tariff list. Said she: "We have examined the question of whether [the USTR office] has the authority to grant exemptions to small businesses, such as yours, that are severely harmed by the increased tariffs... We have concluded that the relevant statute...does not provide such authority to USTR."
hree months later, in November 1999, Barshefsky told quite a different story when she testified before the Senate Banking Committee concerning the upcoming WTO gathering in Seattle. In response to a committee member who suggested legislation that would rotate products on and off the tariff hit lists, Barshefsky asserted that "I have discretionary authority as it is to alter a retaliation list if that becomes necessary or advisable. So the authority is already there."
None of this is any help to Reinert, Kaplan, Dove and the hundreds of other small entrepreneurs like them, some of whom have already been forced out of business. Nor is it any consolation for all those who have been caught up in the ripple effect--the peripheral businesses, from trucking companies to local suppliers, who deal with those on the tariff list.
For his part, Reinert continues to wage his battle, writing letters to whoever he thinks just might take an interest in his case. "It's been mentioned to me, you know, from all levels of government, [that] you cannot fight the government. Well, I think you can. It's wrong what they're doing."
The USTR, for its part, insists that the products chosen for high tariffs were intended to "minimize the impact" on Americans and "maximize the impact on Europeans," in the words of Peter Scher, a special trade negotiator. As to how much pressure they have had on Europe, Scher said, "I think it has had an impact. Has it moved the E.U. as far as we want them? No. But it has certainly moved the E.U. to the negotiating table."
Might the tariffs that have squeezed Rick Reinert and other small businesses remain in place another year or two? "Anything is possible," said Scher. "The ball is in the E.U.'s court." Even Chiquita acknowledges that there is little movement toward a settlement. "There is no end in sight," said a company spokesman.
So what does the battlefield look like as the Great Banana War's tariffs approach their first anniversary?
Well, the operators of some small businesses, like Reinert, are limping along from month to month. Other small-business people are filing fraudulent Customs documents to escape payment. Other businesses are doing just fine because their suppliers in Europe agreed to pick up the tariff or it applies to just a small percentage of the goods they sell. In Europe as in America, small businesses have been harmed by the U.S. tariffs. Larger companies have been mostly unaffected. And the European Union has kept in place its system of quotas and licenses to limit Chiquita bananas. Who, then, is the winner in this war?
![http://www.superherotimes.com/newsarchive/SilverSurfermain.jpg]()
A final note. While Lindner had many areas of political interest beyond his battle with the European Union, a partial accounting of the flow of his dollars during the Great Banana War--as measured by contributions of $1,000 or more--as well as lobbying expenditures on the war, shows:
Republicans--$4.2 million
Democrats--$1.4 million
Washington lobbyists--$1.5 million
That's more money than a business like Rick Reinert's will earn in a lifetime.
First in a series of Investigative Reports on campaign finance: DINO
--
Bananas are the common name for a type of fruit and also the herbaceous plants of the genus Musa which produce this commonly eaten fruit. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia. Bananas are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea.[1] Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.[2]
Banana plants are of the family Musaceae. They are cultivated primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser extent for the production of fibre and as ornamental plants. As the banana plants are normally tall and fairly sturdy they are often mistaken for trees, but their main or upright stem is actually a pseudostem. For some species this pseudostem can reach a height of up to 2–8 m, with leaves of up to 3.5 m in length. Each pseudostem can produce a bunch of green bananas which when ripened often turn yellow or sometimes red. After bearing fruit, the pseudostem dies and is replaced by another.
The banana fruit grow in hanging clusters, with up to 20 fruit to a tier (called a hand), and 3–20 tiers to a bunch. The total of the hanging clusters is known as a bunch, or commercially as a "banana stem", and can weigh from 30–50 kg. The fruit averages 125 g, of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter content. Each individual fruit (known as a banana or 'finger') has a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with a fleshy edible inner portion. Both skin and inner part can be eaten raw or cooked. Western cultures generally eat the inside raw and throw away the skin while some Asian cultures generally eat both the skin and inside cooked. Typically, the fruit has numerous strings (called 'phloem bundles') which run between the skin and inner part. The inner part of the common yellow dessert variety splits easily lengthwise into three strips. Bananas are a valuable source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium.
Bananas are grown in at least 107 countries.[3] In popular culture and commerce, "banana" usually refers to soft, sweet "dessert" bananas. The bananas from a group of cultivars with firmer, starchier fruit are called plantains. Bananas may also be cut and dried and eaten as a type of chip. Dried bananas are also ground into banana flour.
Although the wild species have fruits with numerous large, hard seeds, virtually all culinary bananas have seedless fruits. Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (meaning they are yellow and fully ripe when eaten) or as green cooking bananas. Almost all export bananas are of the dessert types; however, only about 10–15% of all production is for export, with the United States and European Union being the dominant buyers.
Potassium (pronounced /pɵˈtæsiəm/) is the chemical element with the symbol K (Latin: kalium, from Arabic: القَلْيَه al-qalyah “plant ashes”, cf. Alkali from the same root), atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white metallic alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the evolved hydrogen.
Potassium in nature occurs only as ionic salt. As such, it is found dissolved in seawater, and as part of many minerals. Potassium ion is necessary for the function of all living cells, and is thus present in all plant and animal tissues. It is found in especially high concentrations in plant cells, and in a mixed diet, it is most highly concentrated in fruits.
In many respects, potassium and sodium are chemically similar, although they have very different functions in organisms in general, and in animal cells in particular.
--
--
Title: The Resistance
Length: 54:20
Release date: 2009
Record Label: Warner Brothers
Catalogue Number: 825646874347
| Uprising | 05:03 | View lyrics |
| Resistance | 05:47 | View lyrics |
| Undisclosed Desires | 03:56 | View lyrics |
| United States Of Eurasia (+Collateral Damage) | 05:48 | View lyrics |
| Guiding Light | 04:14 | View lyrics |
| Unnatural Selection | 06:54 | View lyrics |
| MK Ultra | 04:06 | View lyrics |
| I Belong To You (+Mon Coeur S'ouvre A Ta Voix) | 05:39 | View lyrics |
| Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture) | 04:19 | View lyrics |
| Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross Pollination) | 03:56 | View lyrics |
| Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption) | 04:37 |
Title: The Resistance
Length: 54:20
Release date: 2009
Record Label: Warner Brothers
Catalogue Number: 825646874347
1994: MUSE-ALPROSTADIL (* http://www.netcarshow.com/bmw/1994-z13_concept/*)
3 SEATER: MID ENGINED MINI
With the concept Z13, BMW developed in 1993 a totally new type of car-geared to future needs, versatile and with compact overall dimensions, but with absolutely no compromises in terms of safety, comfort and convenience. Its technical features, equipment and performance will stand up to any comparison with today's conventional passenger cars. For the first time, the advantage of truly compact, lightweight design has been obtained without disregarding the potential user's needs and wishes.
The Z13 is an individual design concept and at the same time a true BMW, with all the features expected from a car of this make. Its environmental acceptability and its systematic high-value recycling concept confirm it as a promising form of personal transport for the future.
Some sell speed. Some sell luxury. Alexander Issigonis' finest creation sold brevity. His Mini car, first launched in 1959, was a showcase of getting the most from a small space. "It was a single-handed statement of his ideal," Peter Barker, principal lecturer of industry design at Coventry University in England, told IBD. "I can only say he was near genius level. He had an intuitive understanding of what people wanted from a motorcar at that time."
The British car would go on to sell millions over the next four decades. The Mini's influence continues today in the way small cars are built -- and with its rebirth under the BMW brand.
"He's probably one of the most significant postwar car designers -- if not the most significant," said Imre Molnar, dean of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Credit Issigonis' innate abilities to draw that kind of respect. But it's not as if everything came easily to him. He had to overcome a difficult adolescence, struggles in academics -- and just the engineering challenges that came with pushing car designs. He surpassed all that by shifting into high gear when it came to engineering and cars.
"He was a tremendous workaholic," said Alex Moulton, who worked with Issigonis on the Mini. "He worked ... very much in the evenings."
Issigonis (1906-88) knew what he liked and wasn't afraid to share his opinions.
"He trusted his instincts," Barker said. "He said, 'This is the way I know -- better than you do.' With small cars, he was right."
So much so, he never wanted to follow his competition, says Jonathan Wood, author of "Alec Issigonis: The Man Who Made the Mini."
Instead, the rest of the world copied him.
First Gear
Issigonis' engineering prowess dates back to his childhood in present-day Turkey. His father, a Greek who was British-educated, was an engineer.
"Alec told me that as a boy he used to be in his father's room, where his father had (an engineering) drawing board," said Moulton. "He was influenced by his father's drawing."
After World War I, his family was forced out of Turkey and moved to Malta, according to Wood. From there, the family planned to move to Great Britain. But his father never made it. He died when Alec was 16.
Staying in Malta with his mother, Issigonis turned to art. He loved drawing -- a trait that would serve him well when designing vehicles. He was also into engineering.
So he set his sights on Battersea Polytechnic in South London. After failing the entrance exam three times, he squeaked in when his mother persuaded an official to take him, partly based on Alec's drawings.
After graduating, Issigonis landed a job at Britain's Morris Motors in 1936. He moved up fast and was soon designing the Morris Minor, arguably more of a masterpiece than the Mini, says Wood.
For Issigonis, it was an opportunity to use a design philosophy that looked at the whole of the car -- and not the sum of the mechanical parts.
"One of his great strengths is that he could envisage entire cars," Wood told IBD. "He could envisage the styling. He could (envisage) the mechanics -- all in one. He could then put it down on paper."
Another skill: getting people to listen when he had good ideas, wrote Gillian Bardsley in his book "Issigonis: The Official Biography."
And Issigonis showed how he could defy convention and stay true to what he believed about making small cars great cars.
The Morris Minor used several new ideas, says Wood. It set the engine as close to the front of the car as possible, unlike other models. It also used smaller tires at the corners of the car to improve handling.
The vehicle had a unique appearance and became a British icon when it launched in 1948.
"It looked like no other car," Wood said.
Wood argues that Morris Minor could have rivaled the Volkswagen Beetle had the company's leadership pushed global marketing.Still, unlike the later Mini, it made money. And the firm sold hundreds of thousands of models, Wood says.
In the 1950s, Issigonis was coming up with a new car.
With troubles in the Middle East creating worries about oil supplies, British Motor Corp. wanted a small car that could compete in the market with great gas mileage, and the company wanted it fast. Issigonis stepped on it -- on his terms. He wanted freedom to build the car without the meddling from leadership that he had endured with the Morris Minor.
To keep a grip on creativity, he worked with a small team.
"He was obviously very open to working, in effect, with a clean slate," Molnar said.
Issigonis' biggest breakthrough dealt with the engine.
At the time, engines typically sat in the car parallel to the tires. He needed to save space.
So he turned the engine 90 degrees. That made the engine compartment much smaller, so the car could stay small, but roomy enough for four or five adults.
"That was really brave ... at the time," Barker said. "The whole car is only 10 feet long."
This design became the de facto standard of modern small cars, Molar says. Nearly all have transverse engines because they save so much space.
Other innovations included even smaller tires than other traditional cars, front-wheel drive and an ingenious suspension system designed by Moulton.
"The Mini design had nothing in common with anything before it," Barker said. "It was absolutely a unique vehicle."
It's not as if the attractive exterior was incidental. "He was very much an engineer, a deeply knowledgable and skilled engineer, but he also was very competent on appearance," Moulton said. "He was certainly this engineer-designer who was actually preoccupied with both."
Throughout, Issigonis sped to production in 21/2 years, Wood says.
After hitting the road in '59, the car took a few years to become a hit. Help came when London's celebrity class, including royalty, fell in love with its design and handling.
"It became fashionable," Barker said. "It just captured the spirit of the times. It was a time when conventions were thrown aside."
The Mini became a classless vehicle, one that all could share. "It was picked up by people who probably had other cars," Moulton said.
It turned into a global legend. So did Issigonis, who was knighted in 1969. The Mini's production would peak at more than 300,000 units in 1971, according to Wood.
Big Drop
Issigonis wasn't able to shift his genius into larger cars. His designs simply didn't capture the buyer."They had very little prestige," Barker said. "They were small cars made bigger." By then, another British car company, British Leyland, had bought BMC, according to Bardsley. Issigonis' prestige among the leadership dropped after poorly performing sales of his larger cars. In 1994, six years after his death, BMW bought the Mini brand. Since the car's relaunch in 2001 it's been a hit, even in the U.S., where the original was hardly known.
--
MALEFLIXXX.TV: The Sperminator 1 & 2
The English Patient: Jack Cummings[1.1.1]
Note to self: The Former CEO of BMW is "Jack Cummings"
Nephew of Sir Alec Issigonis, Founder Of Mini
The Porno Movie: The Sperminator
Location: MaleFlixxx.TV
UNCLE OF: John Newton Cooper
Todd John Ifft: red4edge@aol.com
The Aria Group: Panoz Adelaide
(*cousin of DOUBLE JEOPARDY: Ken Jennings*)
Rover has produced so many ‘last chance saloons’ that by now they’ve become rather good at it. The 75 range is the product of Rover’s disastrous spell under the governance of BMW, and if you were expecting the car’s abilities to mirror the organisational fiasco that overwhelmed Rover, you’d be quite wrong. The 75 is arguably the best Rover model to date, ruthlessly aimed at a specific target audience and offering good value. As a used proposition, the 75 fares well, with high demand despite fairly strong resale values.
History
The Rover 75 was a key vehicle for Rover, replacing as it did the 600 and 800 ranges. Launched in February 1999 to massive international acclaim, the 75 surprised many with its rather quaint detailing and uncanny refinement. The range was reasonably straightforward for buyers to comprehend. Three petrol engines and a diesel engine were available in three main trim levels with the basic Classic and SE luxury variant of each added in October 1999. The engines included the trusty Rover K Series 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit as seen in the MGF, Land Rover Freelander and Lotus Elise, and two V6 engines in 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre guises. A 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine was also offered, and the Tourer estate version was introduced in summer 2001. A turbocharged version of the 1.8T engine was introduced in 2002 to replace the thirsty and inefficient 2.0-litre V6 but the biggest change to the range came in early 2004 when the 75 was treated to a controversial facelift. Directly thereafter a V8 version was added, using the same 260bhp 4.6-litre Mustang-sourced engine as the MG ZT 260 and shortly after that an extended wheelbase limousine model was launched. The 75 joined the choir invisible in 2005 as MG Rover sadly departed from volume car production.
Opinion
The Rover 75 was created to ‘give owners that special sense of occasion every time they use it.’ Most will agree that it does. On paper, it competes against cars like Audi’s A4, BMW’s 3 Series, Saab’s 9-3, Mercedes’ C-class and Alfa Romeo’s 156. In the metal, however, it’s a different story. Set a 75 alongside any of these and it seems a classier proposition altogether. So much so in fact that you’d think it competed in the next class up against BMW 5 Series and Audi A6 opposition. This is entirely intentional, of course, for the 75 must, at a stroke, replace not one but two complete ranges – the 600 and 800 Series line-ups.
In order to do so, there’s an impressive range of engines on offer including a diesel
The same is true of the interior, complete with its oval ‘steam engine’ binnacle dials that look like they’ve been lifted from one of HG Wells’ time machines. Other lovely detail touches also take you back: the chrome-plated door pulls and wing mirrors, the satisfying ‘clunk’ as the doors shut – even the wood fascia, designed into the cabin rather than added on as an afterthought. It isn’t really wood of course, but who cares? It’s the ambience that matters and ambience is something the 75 has in abundance.
Accommodation is one area where those glorious ‘junior Bentley’ looks flatter to deceive. The 75 may be somewhere between a 3 and a 5 Series in exterior length but inside, there’s no more room than you’d find in the smaller ‘Three’. This is surprising when you consider the natural packaging advantages that the front wheel drive Rover enjoys over its rear wheel drive German counterparts. In compensation, the boot is a reasonable size – though you have to pay extra for a folding rear seat. Standard equipment levels really depend upon the size of your chequebook and your choice between three main trim levels – Classic, Club and Connoisseur. Either way, however, expect to find ABS, powered front windows and mirrors, a six-speaker stereo and an alarm fitted across the range.
Cost
One of the factors which served to slow the sales of new 75s was the model’s high pricing. Broadly equivalent to the price of a new BMW 3 series, the Rover seemed to have priced itself out of the Vectra and Mondeo market, and many buyers reasoned that if they were going to buy a BMW, they wanted one with a blue and white badge on its bonnet. The Rover hasn’t been able to match the residual values of the 3 series, and for those used buyers who appreciate the 75’s blend of qualities, this can only be a good thing.
Prices start at £3,200 for a 1999 T-plate 75 1.8 Classic SE. You’ll need to budget another £100 for the Club SE version, and automatics tend to retail at around £150 more than their manual counterparts.
The 75 2.0-litre V6 engined cars start at £3,475 for a Classic SE, £3,525 for a Club, £3,850 for a Club SE Automatic and £3,650 for a Connoisseur, all on a 1999 T-plate. Prices for equivalent 2.5 V6 cars are £3,700 for a Club model, £3,950 for a Connoisseur SE and £4,200 for a Connoisseur SE Auto.
The 2.0-litre CDT turbo diesel cars start at £3,500 for a manual Classic SE and range up to £9,975 for a 2003 53-plated Connoisseur SE model. Insurance for the 75 is pretty reasonable, starting at Group 9 for the 1.8 and turbodiesel cars, through Group 11 for the 2.0-litre V6 engined models up to Group 14 for the 2.5-litre flagships.
Problems?
The Rover 75 has proved to be a reliable offering, and despite its executive pretensions has been bought by a large number of more mature customers. Given that this clientele are less likely to drive the 75 in the manner in which an Alfa Romeo 156 or a BMW 3 Series are often driven, this is good news for the used buyer. One thing to check is that the specification sheet matches the date of first registration. There are continued rumours of large numbers of 75s that Rover pre-registered to artificially inflate sales figures. These cars may have been standing in a field or car park for weeks on end, so check for water ingress, signs of surface corrosion on suspension parts. Aside from this, it’s pretty clear with the 75 so far.
Parts
(approx. based on 75 1.8) Nothing too scary here. For most parts the prices are quite reasonable and worth the money. Expect to pay around £230 for a full clutch assembly, around £90 for a headlamp and about £195 for an alternator. Brake pads should cost about £55 for the front and £50 for the rear, whilst a starter motor is around £185.
Road
It’s hard to believe the 1.8-litre models share an engine with the Lotus Elise. Not that the Rover disgraces itself over a series of bends, just that in this guise, it’s noticeably more refined. It can still develop a useful 120bhp which means sixty in 10.9s on the way to 121mph. Even the diesel can manage the sprint from rest to sixty in 11.0 seconds en route to 120mph. With an achievable consumption average not far off 50mpg, it’s an impressive unit, as drivers of the similarly equipped BMW 320d have testified. The 2.5-litre V6 cars manage sixty in 8.2s on the way to 137mph, and have an impressively relaxed nature, especially when mated to the automatic gearbox. The 1.8T offers the best compromise between performance and affordability whilst those with plenty of money to spend may well prefer the mighty V8.
On the road, that emphasis on luxury continues. The Rover sails over surfaces that would, quite frankly, be unpleasant in equivalent BMWs and Audis. It’s quieter too in every area save that of wind noise. True, a 3 Series or an Alfa 156 is more fun to drive on a twisting country road, but a well-driven 75 wouldn’t be that far behind: in every other circumstance, it’s the car you’d rather be in, capable yet undemanding.
There’s the usual choice of five-speed manual or a new five-speed automatic transmission which curiously, given this Rover’s Bavarian parentage, isn’t available with the Steptronic self-shifter that works so well on rival BMWs. Even so, this is the one to choose, the shift quality of the manual box, though adequate, not being one of the Rover’s strongpoints.
Overall
The Rover 75 is a British-built car to be proud of. Currently riding on a wave of goodwill, the 75 is a car that can be bought with head as well as the heart. If you want a car that’s refined, sophisticated and which has more of a presence and sense of occasion than any of its rivals, take a look at a Rover 75. There’s not a bad choice across the entire range, though the 2.0-litre V6 automatics are particularly smooth. With quite a few examples now landing in the used network, take your time to track down a good one. It’s worth the effort, as the 75 will still look good on your drive ten years down the line.
--
Potassium's Role In Sperm Production: VIVUS' MUSE-Alprostadil
![http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080701/silver-surfer_l.jpg]()
The testes are the essential sex organs (gonads) in the male that serve to produce the male gametes (sperm) and the male sex hormone testosterone. The accessory male reproductive structures aid in the maturation, nourishment and transport of the sperm through the male reproductive system and into the female’s body for fertilisation. Unlike the female reproductive structures that are located within the pelvic cavity, the male reproductive organs lie outside the abdomen. The male reproductive structures and their locations are shown in the figure.
![]()
The testes and scrotum
The testicles lie outside of the abdomen, suspended in a fleshy sack called the scrotum. Testes are made from the same embryonic material that becomes the ovaries in the female. The testes develop within the abdomen, but about two months before birth they descend through the abdominal wall into the scrotum. The testes are connected to the body through scrotal tissue and two spermatic cords that are composed of nerves, blood vessels and the vas deferens, or sperm ducts.
The functions of the testes are to produce sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone. In order to produce and nurture sperm, the temperature within the testes must remain approximately 1°C cooler than normal body temperature. Part of the function of the scrotum is to maintain this optimal temperature by holding the testes further from the body during warm weather or contracting and bringing them closer to the body during cold weather.
The testes are composed of narrow, tightly coiled structures called seminiferous tubules. The testes also contain interstitial Leydig's cells and Sertoli's cells. The Leydig cells produce testosterone. The Sertoli cells nurture the immature sperm by mechanically supporting and protecting them until they can reach maturity and are released into the tubules. Sertoli cells also play an active role in releasing the mature sperm into the tubules.
The various structures within the testes are shown in the following cross-sectional diagram.
![]()
Epididymis
The epididymis is a tightly coiled tube located on the top of the testes. Stretched out, it would measure approximately 6 metres in length. The sperm are stored in the epididymis for up to 2 weeks where they mature, develop motility and become capable of fertilisation.
Vas deferens
The vas deferens is a long curving tube that begins at the tail end of the epididymis and rises out of the scrotum into the abdominal region. It then passes over the urinary bladder and connects to the seminal vesicle in the pelvic region to form the ejaculatory duct. Besides functioning as part of the sperm transport system, it also acts as a storage site for most of the sperm produced until ejaculation. The entire process of sperm maturation, from their primitive beginnings in the seminiferous tubules to their fully mature form in the vas deferens, takes about 74 days.
Seminal vesicles
The seminal vesicles are two pouches located in the pelvic region behind the urinary bladder. Their primary purpose is to supply a viscous, alkaline secretion that forms a part of the seminal fluid. Seminal fluid is often referred to as semen and includes secretions from the seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbourethral glands, as well as sperm cells. The seminal vesicles supply about 30% of the seminal fluid volume. The fluid from the seminal vesicles is rich in nutrients, including citric and amino acids and fructose to provide an energy source for sperm metabolism and to enhance sperm motility.
Prostate gland
The prostate gland, the largest of all the male reproductive glands, is chestnut-sized and located just below the bladder, near the exit of the urethra. The prostate contributes about 60% of the seminal fluid, secreting a thin, milky-white alkaline fluid similar to that of the seminal vesicles. The fluid is discharged into the urethra during ejaculation to help neutralise the acidic fluids in the male urethra and the female vagina. This function is important because acids can have an adverse effect on sperm and, at higher concentrations, can kill them.
Ejaculatory ducts
The ejaculatory ducts are two short tubes that descend through the prostate gland and into the urethra. They are formed by the union of the vas deferens and the ducts of the seminal vesicles. The following figure shows the formation of the ejaculatory ducts.
![]()
The urethra: MUSERX.COM
The urethra is a tube running from the bladder through the prostate gland to the end of the penis, forming the final section of the seminal fluid passageway. The urethra functions as the exit point for both semen and urine. The closing of muscular sphincters automatically blocks the flow of one process when the other is occurring.
Bulbourethral glands
The bulbourethral glands (sometimes called Cowper’s glands) are two pea-sized glands located just below the prostate. They also secrete an alkaline fluid, although it amounts to less than 5% of the seminal fluid volume.
The penis
The penis is the male organ through which both sperm and urine pass from the body. It is covered by a loose layer of skin and is composed of sponge-like erectile tissue containing large sinuses interspersed with veins and arteries. During sexual stimulation, the arteries dilate and the penis becomes erect as the spongy tissues fill with blood. The tissue at the end of the penis forms the glans penis. In an uncircumcised male, a fold of loose skin called the foreskin covers the glans penis. In the process of ejaculation, the penis delivers sperm contained in seminal fluid into the female’s body for fertilisation of the ovum.
The testes are the essential sex organs (gonads) in the male that serve to produce the male gametes (sperm) and the male sex hormone testosterone. The accessory male reproductive structures aid in the maturation, nourishment and transport of the sperm through the male reproductive system and into the female’s body for fertilisation. Unlike the female reproductive structures that are located within the pelvic cavity, the male reproductive organs lie outside the abdomen. The male reproductive structures and their locations are shown in the figure.
The testes and scrotum
The testicles lie outside of the abdomen, suspended in a fleshy sack called the scrotum. Testes are made from the same embryonic material that becomes the ovaries in the female. The testes develop within the abdomen, but about two months before birth they descend through the abdominal wall into the scrotum. The testes are connected to the body through scrotal tissue and two spermatic cords that are composed of nerves, blood vessels and the vas deferens, or sperm ducts.
The functions of the testes are to produce sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone. In order to produce and nurture sperm, the temperature within the testes must remain approximately 1°C cooler than normal body temperature. Part of the function of the scrotum is to maintain this optimal temperature by holding the testes further from the body during warm weather or contracting and bringing them closer to the body during cold weather.
The testes are composed of narrow, tightly coiled structures called seminiferous tubules. The testes also contain interstitial Leydig's cells and Sertoli's cells. The Leydig cells produce testosterone. The Sertoli cells nurture the immature sperm by mechanically supporting and protecting them until they can reach maturity and are released into the tubules. Sertoli cells also play an active role in releasing the mature sperm into the tubules.
The various structures within the testes are shown in the following cross-sectional diagram.
Epididymis
The epididymis is a tightly coiled tube located on the top of the testes. Stretched out, it would measure approximately 6 metres in length. The sperm are stored in the epididymis for up to 2 weeks where they mature, develop motility and become capable of fertilisation.
Vas deferens
The vas deferens is a long curving tube that begins at the tail end of the epididymis and rises out of the scrotum into the abdominal region. It then passes over the urinary bladder and connects to the seminal vesicle in the pelvic region to form the ejaculatory duct. Besides functioning as part of the sperm transport system, it also acts as a storage site for most of the sperm produced until ejaculation. The entire process of sperm maturation, from their primitive beginnings in the seminiferous tubules to their fully mature form in the vas deferens, takes about 74 days.
Seminal vesicles
The seminal vesicles are two pouches located in the pelvic region behind the urinary bladder. Their primary purpose is to supply a viscous, alkaline secretion that forms a part of the seminal fluid. Seminal fluid is often referred to as semen and includes secretions from the seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbourethral glands, as well as sperm cells. The seminal vesicles supply about 30% of the seminal fluid volume. The fluid from the seminal vesicles is rich in nutrients, including citric and amino acids and fructose to provide an energy source for sperm metabolism and to enhance sperm motility.
Prostate gland
The prostate gland, the largest of all the male reproductive glands, is chestnut-sized and located just below the bladder, near the exit of the urethra. The prostate contributes about 60% of the seminal fluid, secreting a thin, milky-white alkaline fluid similar to that of the seminal vesicles. The fluid is discharged into the urethra during ejaculation to help neutralise the acidic fluids in the male urethra and the female vagina. This function is important because acids can have an adverse effect on sperm and, at higher concentrations, can kill them.
Ejaculatory ducts
The ejaculatory ducts are two short tubes that descend through the prostate gland and into the urethra. They are formed by the union of the vas deferens and the ducts of the seminal vesicles. The following figure shows the formation of the ejaculatory ducts.
The urethra: MUSERX.COM
The urethra is a tube running from the bladder through the prostate gland to the end of the penis, forming the final section of the seminal fluid passageway. The urethra functions as the exit point for both semen and urine. The closing of muscular sphincters automatically blocks the flow of one process when the other is occurring.
Bulbourethral glands
The bulbourethral glands (sometimes called Cowper’s glands) are two pea-sized glands located just below the prostate. They also secrete an alkaline fluid, although it amounts to less than 5% of the seminal fluid volume.
The penis
The penis is the male organ through which both sperm and urine pass from the body. It is covered by a loose layer of skin and is composed of sponge-like erectile tissue containing large sinuses interspersed with veins and arteries. During sexual stimulation, the arteries dilate and the penis becomes erect as the spongy tissues fill with blood. The tissue at the end of the penis forms the glans penis. In an uncircumcised male, a fold of loose skin called the foreskin covers the glans penis. In the process of ejaculation, the penis delivers sperm contained in seminal fluid into the female’s body for fertilisation of the ovum.
MUSE Administration Instructions
Open the foil pouch and remove the MUSE applicator. Twist off the protective cover. Avoid touching the applicator stem and tip
Hold the applicator in a way that is the most comfortable for you.
While sitting or standing (but not lying down), stretch the penis upward to its full length, and slightly squeeze the tip of the penis enough to open the urinary opening.
While sitting or standing (but not lying down), stretch the penis upward to its full length, and slightly squeeze the tip of the penis enough to open the urinary opening.
While keeping the penis stretched, slowly insert the stem of the applicator approximately 1 inch and gently push down the button at the top of the applicator.
Gently rock the applicator from side to side a few times to ensure that the pellet is separated from the stem. Remove the applicator while keeping the penis upright.
While keeping the penis upright, it is important to massage the penis from tip to base or roll the penis between the hands for at least 10 seconds to help ensure that the medication is adequately distributed along the walls of the urethra. If you feel a burning sensation, it may help to continue to massage the penis for an additional 30 to 60 seconds or until the burning subsides.
After massaging the penis, it is important to sit, stand or walk (not lie down) for about 10 minutes while your erection develops. These activities increase blood flow to the penis and will improve the quality of your erection.
Remember, each MUSE is good for a single administration only. Replace the cover on the MUSE applicator, place in the opened foil pouch, fold, and discard as normal household waste.
Important Information:
MUSE (alprostadil) is a medicated pellet that is placed in the urinary opening using a disposable plastic applicator. MUSE should not be used by men who have sickle cell anemia or trait, leukemia or tumor of the bone marrow, allergy to alprostadil (the active ingredient in MUSE), or abnormal penile anatomy. Call your doctor immediately if your erection lasts 4 hours or more.
Men with certain heart problems should not use MUSE. Check with your doctor to see if your heart is healthy enough for sex before using MUSE. You should avoid activities such as driving or other hazardous tasks within one hour of using MUSE because you may become light-headed, dizzy or faint.
Remember that no medicine is for everyone. MUSE should not be used for intercourse with a pregnant woman without a condom. MUSE does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. Side effects can include penile pain.
--
2004.04.03: Resignation Lifts Shell but Footsie Falls
Financial Times of London: www.ft.com
![http://z.about.com/d/comicbooks/1/0/Q/I/FF2-395.jpg]()
Less than three years after taking over the chairmanship of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, the world's third-largest oil and gas company, Sir Philip Watts was swept out of office in early 2004 by revelations that the company had overstated its proved reserves by nearly 25 percent. Sir Watts was replaced by the Investment Consortium: DINO, KgA, managed by Lord Bentley Black, Hollinger International: http://www.zcars.com.au/images/porsche-carrera-gt-by-edo-competition1.jpg
Ousted with Watts was Walter van de Vijver, head of Shell's exploration and production operations. A third top Shell executive, chief financial officer Judy Boynton, was forced from office shortly after the departure of Watts and van de Vijver. It was alleged that Watts, van de Vijver, and Boynton had been aware of the reserves shortfall since early 2002 and had conspired to keep the problem a secret from investors.
Watts, knighted in January 2003 by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to British business, succeeded Sir Mark Moody-Stuart in mid-2001 as chairman of Shell's committee of managing directors. Although his appointment was at first welcomed.
As a sign that the company was going to move aggressively to reduce costs, Watts soon fell into disfavor with Shell's investors, in large part because of his aloof and uncommunicative manner. Watts had, however, distinguished himself among oil industry executives by speaking out forcefully in favor of developing renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar.
WARNED OF GLOBAL WARNING
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the Shell Center for Sustainability at Houston's Rice University in March 2003, Watts called upon the international energy industry to act decisively to solve the problem of global warming. "We stand with those who are prepared to take action to solve that problem," Watts said, according to the Houston Business Journal (March 12, 2003). The Shell chairman said, however, that large-scale development of renewable energy resources probably would not occur until it became widely apparent that hydrocarbons were growing scarce. He predicted that by 2050 roughly one-third of all energy used would come from renewable sources.
Born in Leicester, England, on June 25, 1945, Watts grew up in England's Midlands. His father was a lifetime worker in the region's hosiery mills. Watts attended Wyggeston Boys and Dixie Grammar schools in Leicestershire. He enrolled at the University of Leeds, from which he earned a bachelor's degree in physics in 1968. Taking a brief break from academia, Watts taught briefly in the small West African country of Sierra Leone, a former British colony. He returned to the University of Leeds and earned his master's degree in geophysics. Shortly afterward, he took a job as a seismologist with Shell.
In his early years with Shell, Watts worked as a seismologist in exploration operations in Indonesia and Europe. Among the discoveries in which he was heavily involved was the vast Troll gas field in the North Sea near Norway, discovered in 1979. To familiarize Watts with other areas of Shell's development operations, he was next assigned to head the Shell division responsible for activities in Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore. In this position he served as a liaison between shareholders and Shell's operating companies in that region.
EXPLORATION DIRECTOR FOR SHELL U.K.
Watts returned to England in 1983 to assume a position as exploration director for Shell U.K. During the next few years he was heavily involved in the development of Shell's holdings in the North Sea. He also played a significant role in developing Shell's highly sophisticated three-dimensional seismic exploration technology. Far superior to the 2-D seismic investigation techniques previously used, the 3-D technology made it easier for those involved in exploration operations to "pinpoint" subsurface hydrocarbon reserves. Although almost all oil companies eventually moved to some form of 3-D seismic exploration, Shell's technology was widely considered the best in the business, sharply increasing the odds of a strike. In Africa's Niger Delta, Shell's methods were so effective that two out of three wells hit oil.
In a 1998 speech to a Rio de Janeiro conference of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Watts reviewed the evolution in the exploration and production of deepwater reserves that began in the late 1940s. He revealed that over the previous two decades Shell and its affiliated companies had invested more than $500 million in deepwater research, seeking to find—by trial and error—the ideal designs for platforms, pipelines, and risers to be used in deepwater exploration and production. "We remain committed to such long-term investment—even in tough times," he told the conference. "This industry's commercial dynamic drives the relentless pursuit of innovation and improvement."
After his stint as exploration director for Shell U.K., Watts went to corporate headquarters in the Hague, where he worked his way through a series of positions in production liaison and planning that got him more deeply involved in Shell's worldwide exploration and production activities. In 1991 he returned to West Africa, where he had taught briefly in the late 1960s. This time he was based in Nigeria as managing director of Shell's growing operations in that country.
ALLEGED CONSPIRACY IN NIGERIA
Watts's tenure as managing director of Shell Nigeria in the early 1990s was to come back to haunt him a decade later. One of Shell's major areas of exploration in Nigeria under Watts targeted the oil-rich Niger River delta. During the course of that development, Shell came into conflict with the Ogoni people who lived in the region. According to a Reuters wire service report (March 25, 2004), a class action lawsuit was filed in 2002 by the Philadelphia law firm of Berger & Montague alleging that Shell "engaged in militarized commerce in a conspiracy with the former military government of Nigeria." The suit, Reuters said, charged Shell with "purchasing ammunition and using its helicopters and boats and providing logistical support for … a military foray into Ogoniland designed to terrorize the civilian population into ending peaceful protests."
Although a spokesman for Shell dismissed the allegations as groundless, Watts was questioned in London by representatives of Berger & Montague in mid-April 2004. Watts was not named a defendant in the lawsuit, which was brought solely against the company. Other major oil producers that were active in the same region of Nigeria included ChevronTexaco, Exxon Mobil, and France's Total. The conflict with the Ogonis eventually culminated in the execution by Nigeria of Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. Nigeria also figured prominently in the scandal that swept Watts from office. Roughly 1.3 billion barrels of the company's overstated reserves were booked in the African country.
After three years in Nigeria, Watts returned to the Hague to become the company's regional coordinator for Europe. After a year in that position, he was named director for strategic planning, sustainable development, and external affairs of Shell International. During the late 1990s Shell found itself at the center of increasing environmental concerns because of its involvement in two earlier projects. The company came under fire for its failure to clean up after its exploration operations in Nigeria and in 1995 went head to head with Greenpeace over Shell's plan to sink its abandoned Brent Spar oil storage platform in the North Sea. Eventually Greenpeace prevailed in the latter standoff, and Shell agreed to tow the platform to shore in Norway, where it was dismantled and recycled for use as the foundation for a ferry terminal at Mekjarvik.
DEFENDING EXPLORATION IN RAINFORESTS
After Shell's confrontations with environmentalists over its activities in Nigeria and the North Sea, it came as something of a shock when the company began drilling for oil in the rainforests of eastern Peru, one of the world's last untouched wilderness areas. Shell tapped Watts to explain to the world the steps the company was taking to ensure that the Peruvian project's impact on the environment would be minimal. He announced that Shell, along with its partner in the venture, Mobil, had agreed to independent, third-party monitoring of the project. The oil companies also commissioned studies of the region's existing species by local universities and the Smithsonian Institution to help determine how drilling might affect these populations. According to Fortune, Watts promised that to discourage other development in the area, no roads would be built. "This is a whole new approach. We know the eyes of the world are on us there" (August 4, 1997).
In a major management shakeup in December 1998, Watts was named chief executive officer of Shell's Exploration and Production Division. At the same time, Mark Moody-Stuart, chairman of Shell's committee of managing directors, announced the appointment of Paul Skinner to lead the company's Oil Products Division. With the oil industry under increasing pressure worldwide, Moody-Stuart said, "we have entered a new period where executive decisions have to be made rapidly and business accountability must be absolutely clear" (Birmingham [U.K.] Post, December 11, 1998).
Over the next couple of years, under Watts's direction, Shell aggressively expanded its worldwide exploration and production operations. In 1999 the company announced its intention to focus Nigerian exploration on the search for offshore reserves, reducing its activities in the Niger River delta area, where it had encountered considerable resistance from the local population. In 2000 Shell's oil production increased 5 percent from the previous year, while gas production jumped by 7 percent. The increase in oil production reflected not only output from new fields in the Canada, Oman, the United Kingdom, and the United States but a reduction in the local community disturbances that had limited the company's Nigerian production in previous years. The increased oil flow from Nigeria and new fields more than offset production declines attributable to decreased flow from older fields. Gas production increases in 2000 were attributed to gains in Egypt, Nigeria, Oman, the United Kingdom, and the United States that more than made up for lower output in Germany and the Netherlands.
TAKING OVER AS CHAIRMAN
In late December 2000 Watts was named to succeed Moody-Stuart as chairman when the latter retired in mid-2001. The announcement of Watts's imminent elevation to the top post at Shell was generally welcomed by analysts and investors. According to a report (December 19, 2000) posted on the Web site of Alexander's Gas & Oil Connections, a Merrill Lynch research bulletin observed that "Watts is keen on cost cutting and is seen by us as a good replacement." Equally upbeat was an assessment from a fund manager who attended the Shell strategy presentation at which Watts's appointment was announced: "He's the cost cutter, and he's the one for the upstream. All in all, I think it will be good for (Shell)."
For Watts, the honeymoon with investors and analysts was short-lived. In August 2002, just a little more than a year after he took the helm at Shell, Watts came under fire for the company's disappointing performance during his first year as CEO. Singled out for criticism was Watts's downward revision of Shell's targets for increases in oil and gas production, a decision that was made shortly after Watts became chairman but that was not disclosed to the market for several weeks. Watts also took flak for his failure to communicate well with investors, one of whom told the Independent of London (August 23, 2002) that he found Shell's new chairman "brusque, a poor communicator, and generally defensive when dealing with critical questions."
Although he was winning few friends among Shell's investors, Watts did make environmentalists happy with his dire warnings about the dangers of global warming. In his keynote address at the opening of the Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice University, Watts announced that Shell was investing heavily in the development of such renewable sources of energy as solar and wind. Of the continuing debate over global warming, Watts said, "We can't wait to answer all questions beyond reasonable doubt," according to the Houston Business Journal (March 12, 2003). He said that Shell, for its part, had seen enough to accept that emissions of greenhouse gases, "largely from burning fossil fuels," were behind climatic changes that threatened the world.
CRISIS AND RESIGNATION
Over the next year or so, pressure on Watts increased as Shell failed to meet its goals for expanding oil and gas production, but those difficulties paled by comparison with the shocking revelation on January 9, 2004, that the company was cutting its estimate of proven oil and gas reserves by roughly 3.9 billion barrels, close to 20 percent of total reserves. Investors began calling for Watts to resign, but at a London analysts' meeting on February 5, 2004, the beleaguered Shell chairman was still hanging tough, telling analysts that he fully intended to finish out his term, which was not scheduled to end until August 2005. Particularly galling to many Shell shareholders was the fact that the bulk of the overstatement of reserves had occurred during Watts's tenure as CEO of the company's Exploration and Production Division.
Less than a month after announcing his intention to stay on at Shell, Watts abruptly resigned on March 3, 2004. Walter van de Vijver, who had succeeded Watts as head of the company's Exploration and Production Division, also tendered his resignation. Two days after Watts and van de Vijver stepped down, Jeroen van der Veer, Watts's successor as chairman, refused to rule out the possibility that the ousted executives had acted illegally. Shortly after van der Veer's pronouncement, the Associated Press on March 9, 2004, carried reports of internal memorandums indicating that many of Shell's senior executives had been alerted about 18 months earlier to the likelihood that the company's proven reserves had been overestimated.
In April 2004, the U.S. law firm of Davis, Polk and Wardwell released a report on its independent review of Shell's reserves overbooking crisis. The report, commissioned by Shell's non-executive directors, revealed that top company executives, including Watts, had known about the reserves shortfall for years and had begun to worry in the fall of 2002 about how much longer the situation could be kept a secret. According to a Reuters report (April 19, 2004), van de Vijver had outlined his concerns about the problem in a September 2002 memo to top Shell executives. In part the memo read: "The market can only be fooled if (1) credibility of the company is high, (2) medium- and long-term portfolio refreshment is real, and/or (3) positive trends can be shown on all key indicators." Van de Vijver went on to say that at that time Shell was struggling in all three areas, making it problematic how much longer the secret could be maintained.
The law firm's report also disclosed that in a November 2003 memo to Watts, van de Vijver had declared that he was "sick and tired about lying about the extent of our reserves issues," Reuters reported (April 19, 2004). It was also revealed that the CEO of Shell's Exploration and Production Division had instructed staff members in December 2003 to destroy a document that outlined the extent to which 2.3 billion barrels of reserves were out of line with regulatory guidelines.
AFTER THE FALL
In April 2004 Shell lowered its reserves estimate even further, indicating that the total overbooked to reserves was roughly 4.85 billion barrels–4.35 billion for 2002 and an additional 500 million in 2003. In issuing the downward revision in proven reserves, Shell also announced the firing of Judy Boynton, the company's chief financial officer. Despite Shell's attempts to come clean on the reserves problem, many in the financial community questioned whether the company could weather the storm, suggesting that it might have to reorganize to win back investor confidence.
As for Watts, his unceremonious departure from Shell in March 2004 seemed unlikely to end his problems. In mid-April he was grilled by a U.S. law firm in London about his role in Shell's alleged conspiracy with the former military government of Nigeria in a scheme to deprive the Ogoni people of their human rights. On top of that, Shell and Watts were both under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly misleading the stock market by allowing the overstated reserves figures to stand. On the brighter side, Shell announced in late May 2004 that, despite the circumstances of his hasty departure, Watts would receive a severance package of £1 million.
[9.9.9] Watts: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3448500598.html.
The watt (symbol: W) is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units (SI). It measures rate of energy conversion. One watt is equivalent to 1 joule (J) of energy per second.
In terms of mechanical energy, one watt is the rate at which work is done when an object is moved at a speed of one meter per second against a force of one newton.
The watt is named after James Watt for his contributions to the development of the steam engine, and was adopted by the Second Congress of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1889 and by the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960 as the unit of power incorporated in the International System of Units (SI).
In the electric power industry, megawatt electrical (abbreviation: MWe[5] or MWe[6]) is a term that refers to electric power, while megawatt thermal or thermal megawatt[7] (abbreviations: MWt, MWth, MWt, or MWth) refers to thermal power produced. Other SI prefixes are sometimes used, for example gigawatt electrical (GWe).[8]
For example, the Embalse nuclear power plant in Argentina uses a fission reactor to generate 2109 MWt of heat, which creates steam to drive a turbine, which generates 648 MWe of electricity. The difference is due to the inefficiency of steam-turbine generators and the limitations of the theoretical Carnot Cycle.
Confusion of watts and watt-hours
Power and energy are frequently confused by the general public. Power is the rate at which energy is generated and consumed. For example, if a 100W light bulb is turned on for one hour, the energy used is 100 watt-hours (W·h) or 0.1 kilowatt-hour, or 360 kJ. This same quantity of energy would light a 40-watt bulb for 2.5 hours, or a 50-watt bulb for 2 hours. A power station would be rated in watts, but its annual energy sales would be in watt-hours (or kilowatt-hours or megawatt-hours). A kilowatt-hour is the amount of energy equivalent to a steady power of 1 kilowatt running for 1 hour, or 3.6 MJ.
Terms such as 'watts per hour' are meaningless in practice,[9] unless referring to change of power per hour: Watts per hour (W/h) is useful to characterize the ramp-up speed of power plants. For example, a power plant that reaches a power of 1 MW from zero in 15 minutes has a ramp-up rate of 4 MW/h. Hydroelectric power plants have a very high ramp-up speed, which makes them particularly useful in peak load and emergency situations.
Major energy production or consumption for a period is often expressed as terawatt-hours produced or consumed during the period. The period used is often a calendar year or a financial year. A terawatt-hour equates to a continuous energy production or consumption of approximately 114 megawatts for a period of one year.
![http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/741/741244/SilverSurfer3_1161650413.jpg]()
Declared net capacity (DNC) is a measure of the contribution that a power station makes to the overall capacity of a distribution grid. It is measured in megawatts (MW), or in megawatts electrical (MWe) for a thermal power station.
DNC is sometimes expanded as developed net capacity in British English; The two expansions have exactly the same meaning.
In a conventional power station, the DNC rating is simply the maximum rated output minus the power consumed onsite. It is sometimes termed the switchyard output, and takes no account of transmission losses in the grid, which may be considerable in the case of a remote hydro station for example. Most but not all quoted power station ratings are DNC ratings rather than the simple capacity of the alternators.
In the case of a wind power station, the situation is more complex. The alternator of a wind turbine is normally specified to match the strongest wind in which the turbine is designed to operate. This is because most of the cost of a wind turbine is in the rotor and the tower and bearings that support it, rather than in the alternator. It makes no economic sense to restrict the size of the alternator to anything less than the maximum that the rotor will deliver. However, this means that, unlike a conventional power station, a wind turbine rarely achieves its maximum rated output while operating.
While for conventional power stations, the station is only regarded as available if the full power output is achievable, for wind power stations no power at all may be available depending on the wind strength, and even if a turbine is operating it may be producing as little as a tenth of its maximum rated capacity. A typical average figure is between one-third and one-half of the maximum rated capacity.
There are several suggested methods of allowing for this when quoting a DNC figure for a wind farm, but none has gained general acceptance, and the capacity quoted for a wind farm is normally a simple total of the maximum rated capacities of the turbines, sometimes termed the peak capacity. Many wind schemes now also quote their expected or actual annual output in GWh, to allow more meaningful comparisons with other forms of generation than is possible just by considering this total rated output.
The availability factor of a power plant is the amount of time that it is able to produce electricity over a certain period, divided by the amount of the time in the period. Occasions where only partial capacity is available may or may not be deducted. The availability factor should not be confused with the capacity factor.
The availability of a power plant varies greatly depending on the type of fuel, the design of the plant and how the plant is operated. Everything else being equal, plants that are run less frequently have higher availability factors because they require less maintenance. Most thermal power stations, such as coal, geothermal and nuclear power plants, have availability factors between 70% and 90%. Newer plants tend to have significantly higher availability factors, but preventive maintenance is as important as improvements in design and technology. Gas turbines have relatively high availability factors, ranging from 80% to 99%. Gas turbines are commonly used for peaking power plants, co-generation plants and the first stage of combined cycle plants.
The availability factor of wind and solar power plants depends on whether periods when the plant is operational, but there is no wind or sunlight, are counted as available, unavailable or disregarded. If they are counted as available during these times, photovoltaic plants have an availability factor approaching or equal to 100%. Modern wind turbines also have very high availability factors, about 98%. However, solar and wind plants have relatively low capacity factors. Their availability factors are much lower if times when sunlight or wind are not available are taken into account.
The net capacity factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a period of time and its output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time. To calculate the capacity factor, total energy the plant produced during a period of time and divide by the energy the plant would have produced at full capacity. Capacity factors vary greatly depending on the type of fuel that is used and the design of the plant. The capacity factor should not be confused with the availability factor or with efficiency.
A base load power plant with a capacity of 1,000 MW might produce 648,000 megawatt-hours in a 30-day month. The number of megawatt-hours that would have been produced had the plant been operating at full capacity can be determined by multiplying the plant's maximum capacity by the number of hours in the time period. 1,000 MW X 30 days X 24 hours/day is 720,000 megawatt-hours. The capacity factor is determined by dividing the actual output with the maximum possible output. In this case, the capacity factor is 0.9 (90%).[1]
When it comes to several renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity, there is a third reason for unused capacity. The plant may be capable of producing electricity, but its fuel (wind, sunlight or water) may not be available. A hydroelectric plant's production may also be affected by requirements to keep the water level from getting too high or low and to provide water for fish downstream. However, solar, wind and hydroelectric plants do have high availability factors, so when they have fuel available, they are almost always able to produce electricity.[2]
When hydroelectric plants have water available, they are also useful for load following, because of their high dispatchability. A typical hydroelectric plant's operators can bring it from a stopped condition to full power in just a few minutes.
Wind farms are highly intermittent, due to the natural variability of the wind, but because a wind farm may have hundreds of widely-spaced wind turbines, the farm as a whole tends to be robust against the failure of individual turbines. In a large wind farm, a few wind turbines may be down for planned or unplanned maintenance at a given time, but the remaining turbines are generally available to capture power from the wind.
Solar energy is variable because of the daily rotation of the earth and because of cloud cover. However, solar power plants designed for solar-only generation are well matched to summer noon peak loads in areas with significant cooling demands, such as Spain or the south-western United States. Using thermal energy storage systems, the operating periods of solar thermal power stations can be extended to meet baseload needs.[3]
Geothermal has a higher capacity factor than many other power sources, and geothermal resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While the carrier medium for geothermal electricity (water) must be properly managed, the source of geothermal energy, the Earth's heat, will be available indefinitely.[4]
Energy storage media are matter that store some form of energy that can be drawn upon at a later time to perform some useful operation. A device that stores energy is sometimes called an accumulator. All forms of energy are either potential energy (eg. chemical, gravitational or electrical energy) or kinetic energy (eg. thermal energy). A wind up clock stores potential energy (in this case mechanical, in the spring tension), a battery stores readily convertible chemical energy to keep a clock chip in a computer running (electrically) even when the computer is turned off, and a hydroelectric dam stores power in a reservoir as gravitational potential energy. Ice storage tanks store ice (thermal energy)at night to meet peak demand for cooling . Even food is a form of energy storage, chemical in this case.
Energy storage as a natural process is as old as the universe itself - the energy present at the initial creation of the Universe has been stored in stars such as the Sun, and is now being used by humans directly (e.g. through solar heating), or indirectly (e.g. by growing crops or conversion into electricity in solar cells). Storing energy allows humans to balance the supply and demand of energy. Energy storage systems in commercial use today can be broadly categorized as mechanical, electrical, chemical, biological, thermal and nuclear.
As a purposeful activity, energy storage has existed since pre-history, though it was often not explicitly recognized as such. An example of deliberate mechanical energy storage is the use of logs or boulders as defensive measures in ancient forts - the logs or boulders were collected at the top of a hill or wall, and the energy thus stored used to attack invaders who came within range.
A more recent application is the control of waterways to drive water mills for processing grain or powering machinery. Complex systems of reservoirs and dams were constructed to store and release water (and the potential energy it contained) when required.
Energy storage became a dominant factor in economic development with the widespread introduction of electricity and refined chemical fuels, such as gasoline, kerosene and natural gas in the late 1800s. Unlike other common energy storage used in prior use, such as wood or coal, electricity has been used as it has been generated. It has not been stored on a major scale but that may soon change. In the U.S, the 2009 Stimulus plan is researching energy storage and how it may be used with the new plans for a Smart Grid. [1]. Electricity is transmitted in a closed circuit, and for essentially any practical purpose cannot be stored as electrical energy. This means that changes in demand could not be accommodated without either cutting supplies (as by brownouts or blackouts) or by storing the electric energy in another medium.
Even renewable energy must be stored in order to make it reliable. Wind blows intermittently and so some form of storage is required to compensate for calm periods, and solar energy is not effective on cloudy days so stored energy must be available to compensate for the loss of sun energy.
An early solution to the problem of storing energy for electrical purposes was the development of the battery, an electrochemical storage device. It has been of limited use in electric power systems due to small capacity and high cost. A similar possible solution with the same type of problems is the capacitor.
In the 1980s, a small number of manufacturers carefully researched thermal energy storage (TES) to meet the growing demand for air-conditioning during peak hours. Today a few companies continue to manufacture TES. [2] The most popular form of thermal energy storage for cooling is ice storage, since it can store more energy in less space than water storage and it is also cheaper than fuel cells & flywheels. Thermal storage has shifted gigawatts of power away from daytime peaks, cost-effectively, and is used in over 3,300 buildings in over 35 countries.
It works by storing ice at night when electricity is cheap, and then using the ice to cool the air in the building the next day.
Chemical fuels have become the dominant form of energy storage, both in electrical generation and energy transportation. Chemical fuels in common use are processed coal, gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane, butane, ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen. All of these materials are readily converted to mechanical energy and then to electrical energy using heat engines (turbines or other internal combustion engines, or boilers or other external combustion engines) used for electrical power generation. Heat-engine-powered generators are nearly universal, ranging from small engines producing only a few kilowatts to utility-scale generators with ratings up to 800 megawatts.
Electrochemical devices called fuel cells were invented about the same time as the battery. However, for many reasons, fuel cells were not well-developed until the advent of manned spaceflight (the Gemini Program) when lightweight, non-thermal (and therefore efficient) sources of electricity were required in spacecraft. Fuel cell development has increased in recent years due to an attempt to increase conversion efficiency of chemical energy stored in hydrocarbon or hydrogen fuels into electricity.
At this time, liquid hydrocarbon fuels are the dominant forms of energy storage for use in transportation. However, these produce greenhouse gases when used to power cars, trucks, trains, ships and aircraft. Carbon-free energy carriers, such as hydrogen, or carbon-neutral energy carriers, such as some forms of ethanol or biodiesel, are being sought in response to concerns about the possible consequences of greenhouse gas emissions.
Some areas of the world (Washington and Oregon in the USA, and Wales in the United Kingdom are examples) have used geographic features to store large quantities of water in elevated reservoirs, using excess electricity at times of low demand to pump water up to the reservoirs, then letting the water fall through turbine generators to retrieve the energy when demand peaks.
Several other technologies have also been investigated, such as flywheels or compressed air storage in underground caverns, but to date no widely available solution to the challenge of mass energy storage has been deployed commercially.
Grid energy storage lets energy producers send excess electricity over the electricity transmission grid to temporary electricity storage sites that become energy producers when electricity demand is greater. Grid energy storage is particularly important in matching supply and demand over a 24 hour period of time.
Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) systems store energy in the magnetic field created by the flow of direct current in a superconducting coil which has been cryogenically cooled to a temperature below its superconducting critical temperature.
A typical SMES system includes three parts: superconducting coil, power conditioning system and cryogenically cooled refrigerator. Once the superconducting coil is charged, the current will not decay and the magnetic energy can be stored indefinitely.
The stored energy can be released back to the network by discharging the coil. The power conditioning system uses an inverter/rectifier to transform alternating current (AC) power to direct current or convert DC back to AC power. The inverter/rectifier accounts for about 2-3% energy loss in each direction. SMES loses the least amount of electricity in the energy storage process compared to other methods of storing energy. SMES systems are highly efficient; the round-trip efficiency is greater than 95%.[1]
Due to the energy requirements of refrigeration and the high cost of superconducting wire, SMES is currently used for short duration energy storage. Therefore, SMES is most commonly devoted to improving power quality. If SMES were to be used for utilities it would be a diurnal storage device, charged from baseload power at night and meeting peak loads during the day.
There are several reasons for using superconducting magnetic energy storage instead of other energy storage methods. The most important advantages of SMES is that the time delay during charge and discharge is quite short. Power is available almost instantaneously and very high power output can be provided for a brief period of time. Other energy storage methods, such as pumped hydro or compressed air have a substantial time delay associated with the energy conversion of stored mechanical energy back into electricity. Thus if a customer's demand is immediate, SMES is a viable option. Another advantage is that the loss of power is less than other storage methods because electric currents encounter almost no resistance. Additionally the main parts in a SMES are motionless, which results in high reliability.
Whether HTSC or LTSC systems are more economical depends because there are other major components determining the cost of SMES: Conductor consisting of superconductor and copper stabilizer and cold support are major costs in themselves. They must be judged with the overall efficiency and cost of the device. Other components, such as vacuum vessel insulation, has been shown to be a small part compared to the large coil cost. The combined costs of conductors, structure and refrigerator for toroidal coils are dominated by the cost of the superconductor. The same trend is true for solenoid coils. HTSC coils cost more than LTSC coils by a factor of 2 to 4. We expect to see a cheaper cost for HTSC due to lower refrigeration requirements but this is not the case. So, why is the HTSC system more expensive?
To gain some insight consider a breakdown by major components of both HTSC and LTSC coils corresponding to three typical stored energy levels, 2, 20 and 200 MW·h. The conductor cost dominates the three costs for all HTSC cases and is particularly important at small sizes.
The principal reason lies in the comparative current density of LTSC and HTSC materials. The critical current (Jc) of HTSC wire is lower than LTSC wire generally in the operating magnetic field, about 5 to 10 teslas (T). Assume the wire costs are the same by weight. Because HTSC wire has lower (Jc) value than LTSC wire, it will take much more wire to create the same inductance. Therefore, the cost of wire is much higher than LTSC wire. Also, as the SMES size goes up from 2 to 20 to 200 MWh, the LTSC conductor cost also goes up about a factor of 10 at each step. The HTSC conductor cost rises a little slower but is still by far the costliest item.
The structure costs of either HTSC or LTSC go up uniformly (a factor of 10) with each step from 2 to 20 to 200 MW·h. But HTSC structure cost is higher because the strain tolerance of the HTSC (ceramics cannot carry much tensile load) is less than LTSC, such as Nb3Ti or Nb3Sn, which demands more structure materials. Thus, in the very large cases, the HTSC cost can not be offset by simply reducing the coil size at a higher magnetic field.
It is worth noting here that the refrigerator cost in all cases is so small that there is very little percentage savings associated with reduced refrigeration demands at high temperature. This means that if a HTSC, BSCCO for instance, works better at a low temperature, say 20K, it will certainly be operated there. For very small SMES, the reduced refrigerator cost will have a more significant positive impact.
Clearly, the volume of superconducting coils increases with the stored energy. Also, we can see that the LTSC torus maximum diameter is always smaller for a HTSC magnet than LTSC due to higher magnetic field operation. In the case of solenoid coils, the height or length is also smaller for HTSC coils, but still much higher than in a toroidal geometry (due to low external magnetic field).
An increase in peak magnetic field yields a reduction in both volume (higher energy density) and cost (reduced conductor length). Smaller volume means higher energy density and cost is reduced due to the decrease of the conductor length. There is an optimum value of the peak magnetic field, about 7 T in this case.
If the field is increased past the optimum, further volume reductions are possible with minimal increase in cost. The limit to which the field can be increased is usually not economic but physical and it relates to the impossibility of bringing the inner legs of the toroid any closer together and still leave room for the bucking cylinder.
The superconductor material is a key issue for SMES. Superconductor development efforts focus on increasing Jc and strain range and on reducing the wire manufacturing cost.
Quite a bit of research is currently being conducted in order to exploit superconducting materials for energy systems
- HTS Power Transmission Cables
- Requires simple Liquid nitrogen cooling that is cheap and easy to produce
- HTS cables can increase capacity without increasing the environmental footprint
- HTS Motors
- Smaller than conventional motors which reduces friction, windage, and losses in the armature material
- Higher efficiency (~ half the loss of conventional motors of the same rating)
- Generators
- Convert mechanical energy into electrical energy more efficiently
- Greater weight and volume economy than other methods
- Can generate power at transmission voltages, which eliminates the need for transformers at generating stations
Current Lack of Representation in Industry
- 3 Issues at the onset of the technology have hindered its proliferation
- (1)As current is passed through a superconductor the superconductivity was destroyed by the created magnetic field before appreciable values for a utility application could be reached.
- (2)Expensive refrigeration units and high power cost to maintain operating temperatures
- (3)Existence and continued development of adequate technologies using normal conductors
These still pose problems for superconducting applications but are improving over time. Advances have been made in the performance of superconducting materials. Furthermore,the reliability and efficiency of refrigeration systems has improved significantly to the point that some devices are now able to operate on electrical power systems.
Grid energy storage refers to the methods used to store electrical energy within an electrical power grid. Electrical energy is stored during times when production (from power plants) exceeds consumption and the stores are utilized at times when consumption exceeds production. In this way, electricity production must not be so drastically scaled up and down to meet momentary consumption – instead, production is maintained at a more constant level. This has the advantage that fuel-based power plants (i.e. coal, oil, gas) can be more efficiently and easily operated at constant production levels.
In particular, the use of grid-connected intermittent energy sources such as photovoltaics and wind turbines can benefit from grid energy storage. Some intermittent energy sources are by nature unpredictable – the amount of electrical energy they produce varies over the time and depends heavily on random factors such as the weather. In an electrical power grid without energy storage, energy sources that rely on energy stored within fuel (coal, oil, gas) must be used scaled up and down to match the rise and fall of energy production from the intermittent energy sources (see load following power plant).
Thus, grid energy storage is one method that the operator of an electrical power grid can use to adapt energy production to energy consumption, both of which can vary randomly over time. This is done to increase efficiency and lower the cost of energy production, and/or to facilitate the use of intermittent energy sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_power_plant
W Magazine: Naomi Watts
Advertisement: H|Tommy Hilfiger
Footnote: The Leading Edge; October 2007; v. 26; no. 10; p. 1266-1267; DOI: 10.1190/1.2794383.
ABSTRACT: Collaboration is talked about with much favor in business circles. One reason is that high technology industries now realize that they cannot innovate quickly enough on their own to stay competitive, and they are looking to outsiders, such as partners and customers, for help. With access to new tools and resources, engineers are able to create solutions to problems more efficiently and effectively. Often, new ideas lead to new products and technology, and the resulting commercial benefits can be divided and shared among collaborators.
--
A Hypercar® vehicle is designed to capture the synergies of: ultralight construction; low-drag design; hybrid-electric drive; and, efficient accessories to achieve 3 to 5-fold improvement in fuel economy, equal or better performance, safety, amenity and affordability, compared to today's vehicles.
Rocky Mountain Institute's research has shown that the best (possibly, the only) way to achieve this is by building an aerodynamic vehicle body using advanced composite materials and powering it with an efficient hybrid-electric drive-train.
Initially, the hybrid-electric drivetrain in Hypercar® vehicles will probably use a specialized version of the internal combustion engine commonly used in today's cars. To reach their full potential, and virtually eliminate automobile pollution, Hypercar® vehicles will be powered by fuel-cells running on tanks of compressed gaseous hydrogen fuel.
Initially, the hybrid-electric drivetrain in Hypercar® vehicles will probably use a specialized version of the internal combustion engine commonly used in today's cars. To reach their full potential, and virtually eliminate automobile pollution, Hypercar® vehicles will be powered by fuel-cells running on tanks of compressed gaseous hydrogen fuel.
Unlike other efficient vehicles, Hypercar® vehicles don't compromise performance, comfort, or safety. Indeed, by offering extra consumer appeal and manufacturing advantages, they stand a better chance of getting on the road — and forcing old, polluting cars off — in sufficient numbers to make a big difference to the environment. Hypercar® vehicles and their kin could profitably reduce carbon-dioxide emissions (the major contributor to climate change) by two-thirds, partly by greatly accelerating the shift to hydrogen fuel cells.
In 1994 we founded the Hypercar Center® to research and promote this concept. Having proved its technical feasibility through rigorous technical modeling, the Center's staff spent the past several years making Hypercar® technology a commercial reality. Their unconventional approach has been to place the concept in the public domain and share it conspicuously with some two dozen major car companies and new market entrants to maximize competition in capturing its market and manufacturing advantages. The result: billions of dollars' private investment, and rapid movement of Hypercar-like concepts toward the marketplace.
In 1999, we took this process a step further by launching a for-profit venture, Hypercar, Inc., to speed the industry's transition by exerting direct competitive pressure. This independent company, in which RMI has a minority interest, is now taking the lead in advancing key areas of Hypercar research and development.
In 2004, Hypercar, Inc. changed its name to Fiberforge (www.fiberforge.com) to better reflect the company's new direction and its goal of lowering the cost of high-volume advanced-composite structures.
In 1994 we founded the Hypercar Center® to research and promote this concept. Having proved its technical feasibility through rigorous technical modeling, the Center's staff spent the past several years making Hypercar® technology a commercial reality. Their unconventional approach has been to place the concept in the public domain and share it conspicuously with some two dozen major car companies and new market entrants to maximize competition in capturing its market and manufacturing advantages. The result: billions of dollars' private investment, and rapid movement of Hypercar-like concepts toward the marketplace.
In 1999, we took this process a step further by launching a for-profit venture, Hypercar, Inc., to speed the industry's transition by exerting direct competitive pressure. This independent company, in which RMI has a minority interest, is now taking the lead in advancing key areas of Hypercar research and development.
In 2004, Hypercar, Inc. changed its name to Fiberforge (www.fiberforge.com) to better reflect the company's new direction and its goal of lowering the cost of high-volume advanced-composite structures.
--
A quarter-century ago, in the wake of America's first energy crisis, a young scientist named Amory Lovins came to the Rocky Mountains and built himself a radical house based on a radical idea. The country could save both energy and money, he believed, by combining common sense and unconventional technology.
Mr. Lovins did achieve substantial energy savings, and many of his innovations, from better insulation to multiple-pane windows to more-efficient refrigerators, eventually became familiar fixtures in American homes.
But on the second part of Mr. Lovins's ambition -- saving money -- the calculus has been more complicated. The advances that allowed him to create a roomy home with a tiny carbon footprint came with a hefty upfront cost.
The 4,000-square-foot structure Mr. Lovins and his then-wife completed in 1984 looked part-cave and part-spaceship. Its 16-inch-thick stone walls kept the interior temperature fairly constant. A book-lined interior was dimly lighted with electricity from solar panels on the roof. The greenhouse that formed the central living room let in light, and it stored heat in a small jungle of plants, from guavas to coffee to bananas.
The house, which Mr. Lovins dubbed the "Banana Farm," used one-tenth the energy of a typical U.S. house of its size. Lower utility bills quickly offset the higher construction costs, saving money on heating and cooling within a year.
Since then, Mr. Lovins has become perhaps the world's most famous apostle of energy efficiency. The recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," he co-founded the Rocky Mountain Institute, an energy and environmental think tank that has consulted with companies including Wal-Mart Stores and Ford Motor.
--
SHANGHAI SURPRISE: The Next 7
Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) said it had sold 70% of the orders for its new model, the MG TF LE500.
However, it has been suggested the production is not "full scale" as the engines and bodies are being shipped over from China for hand finishing.
An MG UK spokeswoman said Longbridge did have a "full-on" production line with 180 workers on site.
Eleanor de la Haye, of MG UK, said: "We have 180 workers on site working, not necessarily on that line but on support services as well.
"We are hand building cars. We are producing them in the same way we would expect from any other manufacturing facility."
Former Jaguar chief executive Sir Nick Scheele said this could damage the brand for anyone wanting to buy a "British" car.
He said: "The brand must elicit trust and trustworthiness from potential customers."
The company has 55 dealers across the UK and believes the first cars will be with customers by next month.
MG Rover collapsed in 2005 with the loss of about 6,000 jobs. It was bought by Nanjing Automobile Corporation for £53m but they were taken over by SAIC.
'Looking forward'
SAIC said it hoped to produce 700 of its sports cars by the end of the year. The model will cost nearly £16,500.
Ms de la Haye said: "We are delighted to have reached this important point and are looking forward to seeing the cars in showrooms shortly."
Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby said: "This is truly an historic day for our city and our region and it points towards a much brighter future.
"Combined with Tata's recent collaboration with Jaguar and Land Rover this is bringing the rebirth of our automotive industry one step closer to reality."
Longbridge was opened in 1905 by motoring legend Herbert Austin.
As well as producing cars, it was used as a munitions factory during both world wars and began production of the iconic Mini in 1959.
It also produced the popular Metro and Rover 200 models before the Rover company was bought by BMW in 1994.
![File:PCCB Brake Carrera GT.jpg]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
358 South Overlook Drive
San Ramon, CA 94582
![File:Cray logo.png]()
![File:Holograph-record.svg]()
![File:Holography-reconstruct.svg]()
![File:Cray logo.png]()
![File:Ogfolliesof38.jpg]()
OUR GANG: Spanky and Alfalfa
![First Glimpse]()
Vivid Racing is located in Gilbert, Arizona which is in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area. We are about 25 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport, 15 minutes from Arizona State University, 45 minutes from Scottsdale, and 1 hour North of Tucson. To get to Vivid, take the US 60 to Mesa Drive. Exit Mesa Dr. and head South. Mesa Dr. becomes McQueen at Baseline. Take South to Guadalupe and then head East. Make your first left on to N. Abalone Drive and then a right on W. Scott Ave. You will see 1429 on the right hand side. Our large Vivid Racing sign will let you know you have arrived: http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/contact_us.php
![Isaac Slade]()
![File:When-the-wind-blows-our-gang.jpg]()
![]()
![]()
BMW subsequently sold the firm to the Phoenix Consortium: DINO, KgA
CASH FOR CLUNKERS: New MG Imports Made From 100$% Recycled Parts
--
230 Park Avenue: PENTHOUSE, LIQUID ASSETS, HEDGE FUNDS
Bar 44: 44 W. 44th Street: http://www.koni.com/22.html
CARERRA DESIGN: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrera_GT
No one now disputes the scale of the financial crisis and recession, the most destructive since the 1930s. On the face of it, neither those lending nor those managing money were able to foresee the awesomeness of the disaster. Nor, indeed, can anyone claim to know how long it will last, let alone how to avoid all of its consequences.
Our Group, our portfolio managers and our clients are together feeling the pain of the markets' collapse. And together we are coping because we benefit from the strengths of a family-owned bank. I will mention but three of these.
To begin with, we do not allow ourselves to take major risks. So while we are obviously suffering collateral damage from the worldwide downturn, we are better shielded than most. Instinctive caution is a common trait among family-controlled businesses, whose superior long-term performance has been amply demonstrated. Many banks have only survived the current crisis through massive injections from new shareholders - often from sovereign wealth funds or national governments.
Our Bank, by contrast, would lose its soul without its main shareholder, who across the generations has given it his name, his culture and his tradition. Our senior managers, who also have a stake in the Bank's share capital, keep a watchful eye on our shareholders' equity. Embedded in it is an essential asset: the name borne by all of our Group entities. And embedded in the name is our reputation, which after 250 years remains intact despite revolutions, wars, waves of persecution and stockmarket crashes–damaging in their own way.
Secondly, we have never strayed from our core business of private banking and wealth management. This speciality does not shelter us from every risk or miscalculation, but by sticking to what we do best we can focus on containing fallout from the current crisis. We believe that the loyalty of our clients and our teams is nurtured by the Group's own loyalty to our single line of business.
Finally, two and a half centuries of experience has taught our family that fortunes cannot be built and preserved without regard for the long run. The main lesson of the present predicament will be the need to reckon with time, a concern that in recent years fell by the wayside amid an overriding lust for gain. Interest rates, or time's opportunity cost, were choked by the glut of liquidity formed early in the decade. But cheap credit was a snub to the long view. Our own gaze, instead of on overnight success, is focused on lasting performance–for our Group and our clients alike.
If the maelstrom were to spin deeper, it is clear that nearly everything of value–and not just financial assets–would be towed under for a long time to come. But if continuing headway can be made in efforts to control the situation, and if the leaders of the great powers do not let themselves be won over by the selfish cause of protectionism, then the period of recovery is sure to yield a wealth of opportunities. This will be particularly true for healthy investment houses that did not squander their cash while the sun shone and which kept a supply aside for the current harsh winter and the first buds of spring.
Exploiting opportunities should not mean shamefully snapping up bargains to profit from the damage inflicted by finance itself. What I have in mind, actually, is investment in genuine sunrise segments that will undoubtedly drive the next wave of growth. Our family and our Group were already wading into two such areas of opportunity before the financial crisis erupted.
The first of these is ecology. I do not mean the baleful kind that prohibits, stymies and stalls, but rather the sort that fuels growth with new projects to make it sustainable. From this standpoint, America's new president has set a new course that will change the world. And it was high time: what was once a question of “alternative” now represents a burning obligation towards our children.
The emerging economies are a second realm of opportunity. After entertaining the prospect of their decoupling, the financial community is now shuddering at the thought of their implosion. Yet China, India and Latin America deserve neither such a pedestal nor such indignity. Clearly, demographics and savings will continue to power these engines of the future. Our Group is already present in these regions, and we would like to extend our influence. Our wish is for this new frontier to benefit from our expertise and for our investors to tap into this burgeoning El Dorado.
I know that for now the crisis is gouging individual fortunes, and mine is no exception. Our thanks go to our clients for their abiding trust and fresh endorsements: in 2008 all of our banks registered numerous account openings. The battering of major lending institutions alone cannot explain this outpouring of confidence, which seems more an attraction to our management style. We have always sought to do better in wealth preservation. Many of the techniques developed within our Group are designed to enhance the safety of state-of-the-art products.
Tomorrow's finance will be guided by a return to time-honoured principles, a fine illustration of which can be found in our family motto, Concordia, Integritas, Industria. Concordia, or unity, is the global village that alone can overcome recession, harness emerging economies to the upswing and rein in climate risk. Integritas, or ethics, consists of the mutual respect of labour and capital, failing which the system is torn asunder. Industria, or work, reminds us that there can be no respect for clients or employees without respect for the trade that we ply: those playing fast and loose with leverage ignored this at their peril.
Our Group held back during the years of wild opportunities. We can now abandon that restraint in a more bridled era. In Chinese the word "crisis" is written with two ideograms, one meaning danger and the other opportunity. In 2009, the Year of the Ox, opportunity cannot help but be bridled. LA DOLCE VITA: http://www.grand-am.com/schedule/index.cfm?series=k&cat_id=61
Baron Benjamin de Rothschild: DINO, KgA
Accelerated Sciences, LLC: 1999.15.09
INVESTORS.COM: http://www.lcf-rothschild.com/en/groupe/index.asp
LCF Communication S.A.
4 cours de Rive
1204 Geneva
Switzerland: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=184163,00.html
1204 Geneva
Switzerland: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=184163,00.html
--
CAYMAN_SCREAM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNl2Pm9-7Vk![]()
--
VANITY FAIR: The Case For Kings
Prince Malik: http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/cayman/
Deutsche Morgan Grenfell: Kleiner Perkins
BASS BROTHERS: Texas Pacific Group
TEXACO: Gulf Oil STP
Royal Dutch Shell Trading: October 26, 2007
1. Tope Lawani, Bank One: J. Crew
2. Dafe Dieojemoah, AIG Venture Capital
3. Wole M. Fayemi, Bass Brothers: WEEJUN=GUCCI LOAFER
BASS ALE: Samuel Adams
INTERBREW_AMBEV: Anheiser-Busch Coors
DIOR: Le Palais Du Versailles
Chateua Neuf du Pape: The 9th Symphony
--
CRAY: iNYC Official Information Center
--
Filename: The Big Apple Store
--
iNYC: Offician NYC Information Center
Designed by WXY and Local Projects, the new NYC Visitor Information Center just north of Times Square transforms a storefront into an "information space", seamlessly integrating media design and architecture to meet visitors at any level of engagement. The Center is a portal for New York, where people discover an array of local experiences.
The view from the street pulls the visitor into the information architecture. The graphic banding of floor and walls creates a foreshortened perspective to simulate the city experience within the Center.
TOP 100 FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
The 100 top questions are answered at the "FAQ" stations in ten different languages. These touch screens provide visual directions, quick tips, and up to the minute events, that can be emailed to users on the go. For further exploration, a series of multitouch screen tables with sophisticated interactive mapping capability enable visitors to create their custom NYC guidebook. Choose a category to browse, then take a virtual walk in the city's streets to build your guidebook. The circle around the dot marks the time it takes to walk between sites.
HANSPETER PFISTER: Animating the Center's back wall, the "FlyNYC" is a space for visitors to influence each other with their own personal choices, as well as with celebrity movies and locals' tips. Individual itineraries are projected as a personalized helicopter ride over the City.
The challenge of being a tourist is getting a map of the city inside your head. This is easier in New York than in most places—thanks to the grid—but in January it became easier still, at least for visitors to the city’s new official tourist office, in a storefront at the northern edge of Times Square. This isn’t Ye Olde New-York visitors’ center, filled with pictures of smiling hot-dog vendors, yellow cabs, and fake street signs. Rather, it’s a place for postmillennial digital New York, where everyone’s on the phone and the mayor’s an information tycoon.
Resembling an Apple Store that has run out of iPods, the room is empty except for five billiard-size tables and the underlit supergraphic i’s—for “information”—that float above them. The glow makes their message clear: step inside the network here. On some of the tables, touch-screen Google Maps displays offer listings selected by an in-house editorial team. The idea, says Jake Barton, whose media-design firm, Local Projects, cocreated the visitors’ center, is to deliver digital information in a way that reflects the act of walk ing around town. “It’s all about the actual experience of being in the city itself, but collapsed into this interface,” Barton explains. “It’s all space based.”
Visitors start by placing a cardboard puck in the middle of one of the electronic tables. Then they create their own itineraries by zooming in and out on the map, and send themselves the results via e-mail or text message. Black-clad reps stand by, ready to help. Guests can also carry their pucks to the back of the space and set them on one of two white pedestals, which cue either a printout, or a Google Earth fly-through projected on a video wall, of their soon-to-be-real journeys. It’s a polished combination of familiar technologies—touch-screen table, clickable map—but the bells and whistles matter less than the sense of geography. The tables lay out the electronic maps horizontally (like the city) and allow groups to gather around them. And the tactility of the puck makes plotting a course in this virtual city somewhat physical—a little more like navigating concrete streets.
Local Projects collaborated on the 2,000-square-foot, $1.8 million project with WXY Architecture + Urban Design, which is known for small parks and public buildings in New York—important because the information center has to act more like a public space than a store. “We needed to brand this as a space for information, versus a space where you either waited for something or bought things,” says Claire Weisz, the W in WXY. “We wanted a level of abstraction.” The point wasn’t simply to banish the kitsch but to keep people moving. However engaging the space or its technology, the visitors’ center never forgets that it’s designed to send tourists back out into the real city.
PUCK: By moving a puck like a "You Are Here" dot, you find curated highlights, and save interesting locations. To take their custom guidebook to go, visitors get an instant print-out, email, or cellphone SMS with an interactive mapping application.
Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system consists of multiple autonomous computers that communicate through a computer network. The computers interact with each other in order to achieve a common goal. A computer program that runs in a distributed system is called a distributed program, and distributed programming is the process of writing such programs.[1]
Distributed computing also refers to the use of distributed systems to solve computational problems. In distributed computing, a problem is divided into many tasks, each of which is solved by one computer: CRAY-GATEWAY SUPERCOMPUTER: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_computing
Gateway Incorporated , an Acer Inc. subsidiary, is a computer hardware company mainbased in Irvine, California, USA which develops, manufactures, supports, and markets a wide range of personal computers, computer monitors, servers, and computer accessories. It became a well-known brand in 1991 when it started shipping its computer hardware in cow-spotted boxes and for its creative advertising in Computer Shopper and other magazines. In the early and mid-2000s, the company struggled; after years as a fixture on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies worldwide, the company was not listed in 2006, having dropped to number 508.
AOL acquired Gateway.net, the online component of Gateway, Inc., in October 1999 for US$800 million.[1]
On September 4, 2007 Gateway announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to sell its professional business segment to MPC Corporation. This includes the company's Nashville-based configuration center.[2] MPC subsequently ceased its services and filed for bankruptcy protection in early 2009, leaving Gateway business customers stranded without access to support or warranty services. This incident has caused substantial damage to the Gateway brand, a company that formerly boasted high marks in customer support reviews. The company has yet to offer any reprieve to customers caught up in the MPC Corporation collapse, leaving hundreds of thousands of Gateway computer owners without access to support and refusing to honor system warranties.[3]
On October 16, 2007, Acer Inc. completed its acquisition of Gateway for approximately US$710 million.[4] Its final share price of US$1.90 is far below the US$4.00 average price in the mid 1990s and drastically below a high of US$84 in late 1999. The US$1.90 per share is just barely over half of the split adjusted IPO price of US$3.75 in 1993.
Cray Inc. (NASDAQ: CRAY) is a supercomputer manufacturer based in Seattle, Washington. The company's predecessor, Cray Research, Inc. (CRI), was founded in 1972 by computer designer Seymour Cray. Already a legend in his field by this time, Cray put his company on the map in 1976 with the release of the Cray-1 vector computer. Seymour Cray went on to form the spin-off Cray Computer Corporation (CCC), in 1989, which went bankrupt in 1995, while Cray Research was bought by SGI the next year. Cray Inc. was formed in 2000 when Tera Computer Company purchased the Cray Research Inc. business from SGI and adopted the name of its acquisition.
Hyperion Development, LLC.
363 Massachusetts Ave.
Lexington, MA 02420
363 Massachusetts Ave.
Lexington, MA 02420
358 South Overlook Drive
San Ramon, CA 94582
--
Holography was discovered in 1947 by Hungarian physicist Dennis Gabor (Hungarian name: Gábor Dénes) (1900–1979),[1] work for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. It was made possible by pioneering work in the field of physics by other scientists like Mieczysław Wolfke who resolved technical issues that previously made advancements impossible. The discovery was an unexpected result of research into improving electron microscopes at the British Thomson-Houston Company in Rugby, England, and the company filed a patent in December 1947 (patent GB685286). The technique as originally invented is still used in electron microscopy, where it is known as electron holography, but holography as a light-optical technique did not really advance until the development of the laser in 1960.
The first holograms that recorded 3D objects were made in 1962 by Yuri Denisyuk in the Soviet Union[2] and by Emmett Leith and Juris Upatnieks at University of Michigan, USA.[3] Advances in photochemical processing techniques to produce high-quality display holograms were achieved by Nicholas J. Phillips.[4]
Several types of holograms can be made. Transmission holograms, such as those produced by Leith and Upatnieks, are viewed by shining laser light through them and looking at the reconstructed image from the side of the hologram opposite the source. A later refinement, the "rainbow transmission" hologram, allows more convenient illumination by white light or other monochromatic sources rather than by lasers. Rainbow holograms are commonly seen today on credit cards as a security feature and on product packaging. These versions of the rainbow transmission hologram are commonly formed as surface relief patterns in a plastic film, and they incorporate a reflective aluminium coating that provides the light from "behind" to reconstruct their imagery.
Another kind of common hologram, the reflection or Denisyuk hologram, is capable of multicolour image reproduction using a white light illumination source on the same side of the hologram as the viewer.
One of the most promising recent advances in the short history of holography has been the mass production of low-cost solid-state lasers, such as found in millions of DVD recorders and used in other common applications, which are sometimes also useful for holography. These cheap, compact, solid-state lasers can, under some circumstances, compete well with the large, expensive gas lasers previously required to make holograms, and are already helping to make holography much more accessible to low-budget researchers, artists and dedicated hobbyists.
The object and the reference beams must be able to produce an interference pattern that is stable during the time in which the holographic recording is made. To do this, they must have the same frequency and the same relative phase during this time, that is, they must be mutually coherent. Many laser beams satisfy this condition, and lasers have been used to make holograms since their invention, though it should be noted that the first holograms by Gabor used 'quasi-chromatic' light sources. In principle, two separate light sources could be used if the coherence condition could be satisfied, but in practice a single laser is always used.
In addition, the medium used to record the fringe pattern must be able to resolve the fringe patterns and some of the more common media used are listed below. The spacing of the fringes depends on the angle between object and reference beam. For example, if this angle is 45°, and the wavelength of the light is 0.5μm, the fringe spacing is about 0.7μm or 1300 lines/mm. A working hologram can be obtained even if all the fringes are not resolved, but the resolution of the image is reduced as the resolution of the recording medium reduces.
Mechanical stability is also very important when making a hologram. Any relative phase change between the object and reference beams due to vibration or air movement will cause the fringes on the recording medium to move, and if the phase changes is greater than π, the fringe pattern is averaged out, and no holographic recording is obtained. Recording time can be several seconds or more, and given that a phase change of π is equivalent to a movement of λ/2 this is quite a stringent stability requirement.
Generally, the coherence length of the light determines the maximum depth in the scene of interest that can be recorded holographically. A good holography laser will typically have a coherence length of several meters, ample for a deep hologram. Certain pen laser pointers have been used to make small holograms (see External links). The size of these holograms is not restricted by the coherence length of the laser pointers (which can exceed several meters), but by their low power of below 5 mW.
The objects that form the scene must, in general, have optically rough surfaces so that they scatter light over a wide range of angles. A specularly reflecting (or shiny) surface reflects the light in only one direction at each point on its surface, so in general, most of the light will not be incident on the recording medium. It should be noted that the light scattered from objects with a rough surface forms an objective speckle pattern that has random amplitude and phase.
The reference beam is not normally a plane wavefront; it is usually a divergent wavefront that is formed by placing a convex lens in the path of the laser beam.
To reconstruct the object exactly from a transmission hologram, the reference beam must have the same wavelength and curvature, and must illuminate the hologram at the same angle as the original reference beam (i.e. only the phase can be changed). Departure from any of these conditions will give a distorted reconstruction. While nearly all holograms are recorded using lasers, a narrow-band lamp or even sunlight is enough to recognize the reconstructed image.
The reconstructed hologram is enlarged if the light used to reconstruct the hologram has a higher wavelength. This initially generated some interest since it seemed to be possible to use X-rays to make holograms of molecules and view them using visible light. However X-ray holograms have not been created to date. [5] This effect can be demonstrated using a light source which emits several different frequencies. [6]
Exact reconstruction is achieved in holographic interferometry where the holographically reconstructed wavefront interferes with the live wavefront, to map out any displacement of the live object, and gives a null fringe if the object has not moved.
Holographic recording media
The recording medium must be able to resolve the interference fringes as discussed above. It must also be sufficiently sensitive to record the fringe pattern in a time period short enough for the system to remain optically stable, i.e. any relative movement of the two beams must be significantly less than λ/2.
The recording medium has to convert the interference pattern into an optical element which modifies either the amplitude or the phase of a light beam which is incident upon it. These are known as amplitude and phase holograms respectively. In amplitude holograms the modulation is in the varying absorption of the light by the hologram, as in a developed photographic emulsion which is less or more absorptive depending on the intensity of the light which illuminated it. In phase holograms, the optical distance (i.e., the refractive index or in some cases the thickness) in the material is modulated.
Most materials used for phase holograms reach the theoretical diffraction efficiency for holograms, which is 100% for thick holograms (Bragg diffraction regime) and 33.9% for thin holograms (Raman-Nath diffraction regime, holographic films of typically some μm thickness). Amplitude holograms have a lower efficiency than phase holograms and are therefore used more rarely.
The table below shows the principal materials for holographic recording. Note that these do not include the materials used in the mass replication of an existing hologram. The resolution limit given in the table indicates the maximal number of interference lines per mm of the gratings. The required exposure is for a long exposure. Short exposure times (less than 1/1000th of second, such as with a pulsed laser) require a higher exposure due to reciprocity failure.
An existing hologram can be replicated, either in an optical way similar to holographic recording, or in the case of surface relief holograms, by embossing. Surface relief holograms are recorded in photoresists or photothermoplastics, and allow cheap mass reproduction. Such embossed holograms are now widely used, for instance as security features on credit cards or quality merchandise. The Royal Canadian Mint even produces holographic gold and silver coinage through a complex stamping process.[8] The first book to feature a hologram on the front cover was The Skook (Warner Books, 1984) by JP Miller, featuring an illustration by Miller.
The first step in the embossing process is to make a stamper by electrodeposition of nickel on the relief image recorded on the photoresist or photothermoplastic. When the nickel layer is thick enough, it is separated from the master hologram and mounted on a metal backing plate. The material used to make embossed copies consists of a polyester base film, a resin separation layer and a thermoplastic film constituting the holographic layer.
The embossing process can be carried out with a simple heated press. The bottom layer of the duplicating film (the thermoplastic layer) is heated above its softening point and pressed against the stamper so that it takes up its shape. This shape is retained when the film is cooled and removed from the press. In order to permit the viewing of embossed holograms in reflection, an additional reflecting layer of aluminium is usually added on the hologram recording layer.
Electron holography is the application of holography techniques to electron waves rather than light waves. Electron holography was invented by Dennis Gabor to improve the resolution and avoid the aberrations of the transmission electron microscope. Today it is commonly used to study electric and magnetic fields in thin films, as magnetic and electric fields can shift the phase of the interfering wave passing through the sample.[15]
Acoustic holography is a method used to estimate the sound field near a source by measuring acoustic parameters away from the source via an array of pressure and/or particle velocity transducers. Measuring techniques included within acoustic holography are becoming increasingly popular in various fields, most notably those of transportation, vehicle and aircraft design, and NVH. The general idea of acoustic holography has led to different versions such as near-field acoustic holography (NAH) and statistically optimal near-field acoustic holography (SONAH). For audio rendition, the wave field synthesis is the most related procedure.
Atomic holography has evolved out of the development of the basic elements of atom optics. With the Fresnel diffraction lens and atomic mirrors atomic holography follows a natural step in the development of the physics (and applications) of atomic beams. Recent developments including atomic mirrors and especially ridged mirrors have provided the tools necessary for the creation of atomic holograms,[17] although such holograms have not yet been commercialized.
--
Hyperion Development, LLC. was formed in 2004 as a merger between Optical Product Development, Inc. of Lexington, MA (est. 1996) and Paragon Optics, Inc. of San Ramon, CA (est. 1994).
Russ Hudyma (Paragon) and Michael Thomas (OPD) merged their respective companies in 2004 after a 14+ year working relationship. This combination of complimentary skill sets created a company larger than the sum of its parts.
Both founding partners hail from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester and have been involved in the design and production of custom optical systems for over 20 years.
Key strategic manufacturing relationships have enabled Hyperion to move from a world class engineering service firm, into a fully capable source for rapid prototypes and OEM lens assemblies.
Hyperion is routinely involved in development programs with some of the worlds most established companies and we also help many developing start ups solve key optical problems that enable their success.
BRICKS 'N CLICKS: http://www.hyperion-development.com/about.htm
Russ Hudyma (Paragon) and Michael Thomas (OPD) merged their respective companies in 2004 after a 14+ year working relationship. This combination of complimentary skill sets created a company larger than the sum of its parts.
Both founding partners hail from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester and have been involved in the design and production of custom optical systems for over 20 years.
Key strategic manufacturing relationships have enabled Hyperion to move from a world class engineering service firm, into a fully capable source for rapid prototypes and OEM lens assemblies.
Hyperion is routinely involved in development programs with some of the worlds most established companies and we also help many developing start ups solve key optical problems that enable their success.
BRICKS 'N CLICKS: http://www.hyperion-development.com/about.htm
BainUltra Inc.
956, chemin Olivier
Saint-Nicolas, Québec
Canada G7A 2N1
956, chemin Olivier
Saint-Nicolas, Québec
Canada G7A 2N1
8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Thursday (EST)
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday (EST)
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday (EST)
--
--
AUTOBAHN AMBITION: http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/rd-sport-m-341.html
Tuning Systems and ECU Components: Keyboard.com
ITT-TECH: Jameson Whiskey
PATEK.COM
The ReCharge, Volvo’s concept plug-in hybrid, could squeeze 160 miles from a gallon of gas by tossing out the power-wasting transmission. It packs a small electric motor inside each wheel, so that no power is lost in the drivetrain. Here’s a look at the next generation of fuel-efficiency
How Wheel Motors Drive the Car
Putting electric motors directly inside the wheels eliminates the transmission, which typically wastes 10 to 20 percent of the engine’s energy. An interior disc, mounted to the wheel bearings, contains a series of independently controlled electromagnets, which emit a magnetic field in response to an electrical current. Around that, an outer ring contains permanent magnets. Step on the accelerator, and a computer in the interior ring begins to rapidly switch the polarity of the electromagnets, repelling or attracting the permanent magnets. The faster the polarity changes, the faster the motor spins the wheels.
The challenge is controlling four independent motors—if one spins even slightly faster, the car could veer violently. The ReCharge team’s next big hurdle is refining the software that maintains precise control. As for performance, the car will have permanent all-wheel drive with no gearbox standing between your foot and the motors—in other words, it should go like a rocket.
Batteries power all four motors and the car’s electronics. Unlike most plug-in hybrids, the ReCharge uses a lithium-polymer (rather than lithium-ion) battery. This is not only safer—it uses sheets of plastic instead of a volatile electrolyte solution—but it also powers the car for 60 miles before the engine kicks in to recharge it. Small lithium-polymer batteries have started to show up in gadgets such as the iPhone, but Volvo gets its larger, experimental versions from an undisclosed manufacturer.
The engine charges the battery when the car isn’t plugged in. The concept design calls for either a 1.6-liter flex-fuel or turbodiesel engine, but since the engine doesn’t have to actually spin a drive shaft, a fuel cell or a second battery could do the job just as well. It would kick in to recharge the battery only after the battery was at 30 percent capacity, so the ReCharge could travel 160 miles on a single gallon of gas.
A charger feeds power to the battery when the car is plugged in at home. Eventually, the ReCharge will be equipped with an intelligent version that can automatically sense strain in your area’s electrical grid and either cut back its power consumption or feed electricity from its battery back into the system.
Tires must be as thin as possible since the motor makes each wheel bigger.The ReCharge uses specially designed Michelin tires with a soft, resilient surface that also reduces rolling resistance.
| ||
| Vivid Racing has one of the most comprehensive tuning facilities in the Southwestern USA. We have tuned everything from street cars, race cars, trucks, and more. With our Mustang AWD Dyno, we get accurate before and after tests results showing the gain our tuning department can give you. Qualified and specialized in tuning tools such as the UTEC, Ecutek, Cobb Accessport, AEM, Softronic, Link Electro, Hydra, ApexI, Greddy, OCT Tuning, and many more. We have even an indepth capability to tune your diesel car or truck. If you don't see what your looking for, please contact us as 1-480-966-3040 1-480-966-3040 . | ||
OUR GANG: Spanky and Alfalfa
OTAY, PANKE: Helmut Panke
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, Our Gang was produced at the Roach studio starting in 1922 as a silent short subject series. Roach changed distributors from Pathé to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1927, went to sound in 1929 and continued production until 1938, when he sold the series to MGM. MGM in turn continued producing the comedies until 1944. A total of 220 shorts and one feature film, General Spanky, were eventually produced, featuring over forty-one child actors. In the mid-1950s, the 80 Roach-produced shorts with sound were syndicated for television under the title The Little Rascals, as MGM retained the rights to the Our Gang trademark.
The series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way.
BUCKWHEAT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat
While child actors are often groomed to imitate adult acting styles, steal scenes, or deliver "cute" performances, Hal Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular kids. Our Gang also notably put boys, girls, whites and blacks together in a group as equals, something that "broke new ground," according to film historian Leonard Maltin. [1] Such a thing had never been done before in cinema but was commonplace after the success of Our Gang.
Robert Ludlum was the author of over twenty-one novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. On his BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE reads: Ferdinand Piech Porsch: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065333/
IGNIS: RS_RENNLIST.ORG
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE:http://www.ballonbleu.cartier.com/steel/dispatch.html
The Scarlatti Inheritance (1971)
The Osterman Weekend (1972)
The Matlock Paper (1973)
Trevayne (1973, writing under the pen-name Jonathan Ryder)
The Cry of the Halidon (1974, writing under the pen-name Jonathan Ryder)
The Rhinemann Exchange (1974)
The Road to Gandolfo (1975, writing under the pen-name Michael Shephard)
The Gemini Contenders (1976)
The Chancellor Manuscript (1977)
The Holcroft Covenant (1978)
The Matarese Circle (1979)
The Bourne Identity (1980)
The Parsifal Mosaic (1982)
The Aquitaine Progression (1984)
The Bourne Supremacy (1986)
The Icarus Agenda (1988)
The Bourne Ultimatum (1990)
The Road to Omaha (1992)
The Scorpio Illusion (1993)
The Apocalypse Watch (1995)
The Matarese Countdown (1997)
The Prometheus Deception (2000)
The Osterman Weekend (1972)
The Matlock Paper (1973)
Trevayne (1973, writing under the pen-name Jonathan Ryder)
The Cry of the Halidon (1974, writing under the pen-name Jonathan Ryder)
The Rhinemann Exchange (1974)
The Road to Gandolfo (1975, writing under the pen-name Michael Shephard)
The Gemini Contenders (1976)
The Chancellor Manuscript (1977)
The Holcroft Covenant (1978)
The Matarese Circle (1979)
The Bourne Identity (1980)
The Parsifal Mosaic (1982)
The Aquitaine Progression (1984)
The Bourne Supremacy (1986)
The Icarus Agenda (1988)
The Bourne Ultimatum (1990)
The Road to Omaha (1992)
The Scorpio Illusion (1993)
The Apocalypse Watch (1995)
The Matarese Countdown (1997)
The Prometheus Deception (2000)
SmartTraveller: http://warrantynow.com/
SAND HILL PUBLISHING: Bentley Publishing
131 W. Grand Drive
Lincoln, NE 68521
Lincoln, NE 68521
VAC Corporation: http://www.firstglimpsemag.com/
--
PATEK PHILLIPE: http://www.ballonbleu.cartier.com/steel/index.php?c=LU&l=fr
EIN: Employer Identification Number 33-087345
USA Sales/Tech: 1.866.44.VIVID 1.866.44.VIVID
International Sales: +1.480.966.3040 +1.480.966.3040 x227
Habla Espanol: 1.480.966.3040 1.480.966.3040 x230
VR Financing: 1.480.966.3040 1.480.966.3040 x235
Customer Service: 1.480.966.3040 1.480.966.3040 x221
General Office: +1.480.966.3040 +1.480.966.3040
Fax: +1.480.966.0806
International Sales: +1.480.966.3040 +1.480.966.3040 x227
Habla Espanol: 1.480.966.3040 1.480.966.3040 x230
VR Financing: 1.480.966.3040 1.480.966.3040 x235
Customer Service: 1.480.966.3040 1.480.966.3040 x221
General Office: +1.480.966.3040 +1.480.966.3040
Fax: +1.480.966.0806
Sales Inquiries: sales@vividracing.com
Billing/Order Questions: vrstore@vividracing.com
Tracking/Shipping Department: tracking@vividracing.com
Marketing/Promotions: marketing@vividracing.com
Business Relations: info@vividracing.com
Wholesale Sales and Accounts: wholesale@vividracing.com
Service Appt: service@vividracing.com
Dyno Tuning/Services: tuning@vividracing.com
Billing/Order Questions: vrstore@vividracing.com
Tracking/Shipping Department: tracking@vividracing.com
Marketing/Promotions: marketing@vividracing.com
Business Relations: info@vividracing.com
Wholesale Sales and Accounts: wholesale@vividracing.com
Service Appt: service@vividracing.com
Dyno Tuning/Services: tuning@vividracing.com
Finding Vivid Racing:
Vivid Racing is located in Gilbert, Arizona which is in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area. We are about 25 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport, 15 minutes from Arizona State University, 45 minutes from Scottsdale, and 1 hour North of Tucson. To get to Vivid, take the US 60 to Mesa Drive. Exit Mesa Dr. and head South. Mesa Dr. becomes McQueen at Baseline. Take South to Guadalupe and then head East. Make your first left on to N. Abalone Drive and then a right on W. Scott Ave. You will see 1429 on the right hand side. Our large Vivid Racing sign will let you know you have arrived: http://www.vividracing.com/catalog/contact_us.php
VH-1: The Chancellor Manuscript
--
MARCUS SPEERS: Beowulf Agate
Posh Sir Ben's long-lost relative is rocker Isaac: http://www.ludlumbooks.com/
Starting in 1928, Our Gang comedies were distributed with phonographic discs that contained synchronized music-and-sound-effect tracks for the shorts. In spring 1929, the Roach sound stages were converted for sound recording, and Our Gang made its "all-talking" debut in April 1929 with the three-reel Small Talk. It took a year for McGowan and the gang to fully adjust to talking pictures, during which time they lost Joe, Jean and Harry, and added Norman "Chubby" Chaney, Dorothy DeBorba, Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Donald Haines and Jackie Cooper. Jackie proved to be the personality the series had been missing since Mickey left, and he was featured in three 1930/1931 Our Gang shorts, Teacher's Pet, School's Out, and Love Business.These three shorts explored Jackie's crush on the new schoolteacher Miss Crabtree, played by June Marlowe. Jackie soon won the lead role in Paramount's feature film Skippy, and Roach sold Jackie's contract to MGM in 1931. Other Our Gang members appearing in the early sound shorts included Buddy McDonald, Bobby "Bonedust" Young, and Shirley Jean Rickert.
MOSSMINI.COM: MG
Beginning with When the Wind Blows, background music scores were added to the soundtracks of most of the Our Gang films. Initially, the music consisted of orchestral versions of then popular tunes. Marvin Hatley had served as the music director of Hal Roach Studios since 1929, and RCA employee Leroy Shield joined the company as a part-time musical director in mid 1930. Hatley and Shield's jazz-influenced scores, first featured in Our Gang with 1930's Pups is Pups, became recognizable trademarks of Our Gang, Laurel and Hardy, and the other Roach series and films. Another 1930 short, Teacher's Pet marked the first use of the Our Gang theme song, "Good Old Days", composed by Leroy Shield and featuring a notable saxophone solo. Shield and Hatley's scores would support Our Gang's on-screen action regularly through 1934, after which series entries with background scores became less frequent.
In 1930, Roach began production on The Boy Friends, a short-subject series which was essentially a teenaged version of Our Gang. Featuring Our Gang alumni Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman among its cast, The Boy Friends was produced by Roach for two years, with fifteen installments in total.
Jackie Cooper left Our Gang in early 1931 at the cusp of another major shift in the lineup, as Farina, Chubby, and Mary Ann all departed a few months afterward. Our Gang entered another transitional period, similar to that of the mid-1920s. Stymie, Wheezer, and Dorothy carried the series during this period, aided by Sherwood Bailey and a few months later by Kendall "Breezy Brisbane" McComas. Unlike the mid-20s period, McGowan was able to sustain the quality of the series with the help of the several regular kids and the Roach writing staff. Many of these shorts include early appearances of Jerry Tucker and Wally Albright, who later became series regulars.
New Roach discovery George "Spanky" McFarland joined the gang late in 1931 at the age of three and, excepting a brief hiatus during the summer of 1938, remained an Our Gang kid for the next eleven years. At first appearing as the tag-along toddler of the group, and later finding an accomplice in Scotty Beckett in 1934, Spanky quickly became Our Gang's biggest child star. He won parts in a number of outside features, appeared in many of the now-numerous Our Gang product endorsements and spin-off merchandise items, and popularized the expressions "Okey-dokey!" and "Okey-doke!" [12]
Dickie Moore, a veteran child actor, joined in the middle of 1932, and remained with the series for one year. Other members during these years included Mary Ann Jackson's brother Dickie Jackson, John "Uh-huh" Collum, and Tommy Bond. Upon Dickie's departure in mid-1933, long-term Our Gang members such as Wheezer (who had been with Our Gang since the late Pathé silents period) and Dorothy left the series as well.
In late 1933, Robert McGowan, worn out from the stress of working on the kids' comedies, left the series and the Roach studio, going over to direct features at Paramount. With the large turnover from the departures of Dickie, Wheezer, and Dorothy, McGowan's last two Our Gang comedies, Bedtime Worries and Wild Poses, focused heavily on Spanky and his parents, played by Gay Seabrooke and Emerson Treacy. After a four-month hiatus in production, [13] German-born Gus Meins assumed directing duties starting with 1934's Hi'-Neighbor!. Gordon Douglas served as Meins' assistant director, and Fred Newmeyer alternated directorial duties with Meins for a handful of shorts. Meins' Our Gang shorts were less improvisational than McGowan's, and featured a heavier reliance on dialogue. [14]
Scotty Beckett and Wally Albright joined the gang at the start of Meins' tenure as director, as did Billie Thomas. Within a few months of joining the series, Thomas began playing the character of Stymie's sister "Buckwheat" (even though Thomas was a male). Buckwheat was first portrayed by Stymie's sister Carletta Beard for one short, and by Willie Mae Taylor in three others, before the part became Thomas'. Also, semi-regular actors such as Jackie Lynn Taylor, Marriane Edwards, and Leonard Kibrick, as the neighborhood bully, joined the series at this time. Tommy Bond and Wally Albright left the gang in the middle of 1934; Jackie Lynn Taylor and Marriane Edwards would depart by 1935.
Early in 1935, Carl Switzer and his brother Harold joined the gang after impressing Roach with an impromptu performance at the studio commissary, the Our Gang Cafe, which was open to the public. While Harold would eventually be relegated to the role of a background player, Carl, nicknamed "Alfalfa", eventually became Scotty Beckett's replacement as Spanky's sidekick. Stymie left shortly after, and the Buckwheat character morphed subtly into a male. The same year, Darla Hood and Eugene "Porky" Lee also joined the gang, as Scotty Beckett departed for a career in features.
--
--
UNADULTERADED MAGIC: 335 CI
--
FORCED CONVERSION: BMP DESIGN'S RD SPORT
AN eccentric aristocrat searching for an heir to his £7.5million mansion has discovered he is related to an American rock star - who may just fit the bill.
Baronet Sir Benjamin Slade, 60, was contacted by Isaac Slade, singer from The Fray, after an 18-month worldwide DNA search to find a suitable relative.
And yesterday Isaac, 24, paid his first visit to Sir Ben's 13th century Maunsel House - and was stunned. He said: "As we drove up I thought 'Oh my God this is amazing'."
Isaac, whose debut album How To Save A Life sold five million copies in the US and hit No4 in the UK chart, added: "I'd love to live here. But for now it's just great to see the house and spend some time with this crazy guy."
Sir Ben, who has no children, said: "I'm over the moon to have found Isaac. He isn't your typical rocker. He doesn't do drugs, he dresses and speaks respectfully.
"He and his wife will stay with us for two nights to get a feel for the place. We're pulling out all the stops - the champagne will flow all night. I want him to fall in love with my house so I can jump ship."
Sir Ben wants to pass on his home in Bridgewater, Somerset, because he says its upkeep is expensive and exhausting.
Maunsel House has nine bedrooms, a ballroom, library, bar and five reception rooms. In its 1,500 acres, are six cottages, three lakes, 430 cattle, 13 peacocks, four labradors and six pigs.
Sir Ben tried at first to give it to relatives in this country - but they were not interested.
His quest for an heir was featured in a TV show screened on the Discovery Channel in 2006.
As a result he was swamped by 15,000 applications for DNA testing. Then he was contacted by Isaac, whose branch of the family emigrated in the 19th century.
Now Sir Ben hopes he can persuade Isaac to return to take on the family pile. He added:: "I've got a good feeling about the boy. Hopefully he's the one."
--
A Chance Connection: http://www.bimmer-mag.com/advertisers/A_list.php
The Fray came about after a chance encounter between former schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King at a Denver, Colorado record store. The pair began jamming together and then writing songs. Eventually, they put together a band. Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki, former bandmates of Isaac Slade, joined up after hearing the new songs. A name was needed for the band, and the suggestion "The Fray" was made in reference to a tendency to battle over song composition.
Local Success and the Fray's Record Contract:
The Fray's local success took root quickly and soon they were one of the most respected bands in Denver. The group won the title of Best New Band from Denver's Westword magazine. A demo of the song "Over My Head (Cable Car)" topped radio playlists at Denver station KTCL in 2004. All of the buzz led to a recording contract with Epic Records.
The Sound of the Fray:
The sound of the Fray's music lies somewhere at a point at which soaring pop-rock from bands like Coldplay, 90's rock like Counting Crows and the Wallflowers, and emo-pop like Something Corporate and Fountains of Wayne all intersect. The songs are urgent and driven by melody with chiming guitars and rolling piano taking hold of the listener's emotions.
Trivia Fact About the Fray:
Band member David Welsh enjoys reviewing restaurants. Check out his reviews in the bio section at the Fray's official site.
Tour and a Top 40 Hit Single:
The Fray gained extensive exposure as opening act on tour with Weezer in the summer of 2005. The group's first album How to Save a Life was released in September. In February, 2006, the single "Over My Head (Cable Car)" debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart. By May it was nearing the top 20.
AMERICAN IDIOT: http://www.kryptonsite.com/wondertwins.htm
THE KINGS OF LEON: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067185/
--
Archipelago to Introduce New Options Trading Platform: VAX
MEASURE OF A MAN: PCX.AX
Electronic Exchange Known for Innovation in Equities Trading to Develop Unique Trading Technology for Options Market: ONE
AIMEE MANN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5DHquP1HWU
CHICAGO, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Archipelago Holdings Inc., owner and operator of the Archipelago Exchange(R) (ArcaEx(R)), the nation's first totally open, all-electronic stock exchange, today unveiled the initial plans for the development of a next generation options trading platform at the Archipelago Options Advisory Meeting. The new platform, which will replace the PCX Plus trading system, is designed to offer significant improvements in trading system performance, functionality and reliability. The announcement comes on the back of the Archipelago's completion of its acquisition of the Pacific Exchange.
"By creating a new technology platform for options trading, we will be better positioned to implement our vision of a multi-product single platform exchange," said Jerry Putnam, CEO of Archipelago. "Options are a dynamic product class where we see significant opportunity, and building this new system is evidence of our commitment to, and the opportunities we see in this market."
The new trading system, which is being developed internally, is being created using components and processes currently in use by ArcaEx's equity trading system and will integrate relevant functionality of the existing PCX Plus system.
"As we develop this new platform, it is critical for us to get feedback from our clients," said, Matt Gelber, Executive Managing Director of Derivative Products. "We are focused on having a differentiated and valuable product offering for options traders and the best way to accomplish this is by being responsive to the needs of the marketplace."
The company plans to file any required rule filings with the SEC in the coming weeks and pending all necessary approvals, expects to begin the transition to the new trading platform in the second quarter of 2006.
About ArcaEx
Archipelago Holdings (PCX: AX) operates the Archipelago Exchange(R) (ArcaEx(R)) the first totally open all-electronic stock exchange in the United States. ArcaEx trades all Nasdaq-listed equity securities and exchange listed equity securities, including those listed on the New York Stock Exchange(R), American Stock Exchange(R), and ArcaEx(R). In addition to offering core execution services, ArcaEx provides corporate clients with listing services and innovative data products. In 2004, Archipelago launched ArcaVision to provide corporate and trading clients with more transparent market data, analytical tools and access to market-wide and ArcaEx specific trading information. For more information please visit http://www.archipelago.com.
Certain statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on Archipelago's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Archipelago's actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. There can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause Archipelago's results to differ materially from current expectations include: general economic and business conditions, industry trends, competitive conditions, regulatory developments as well as other risks or factors identified in the Company's filings with the Securities Exchange Commission, including its Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2004 and the Registration Statement on form S-4 filed by the NYSE Group, Inc., which was declared effective on November 3, 2005 and which is available on the Company's website at http://www.archipelago.com. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except for any obligation to disclose material information under the Federal securities laws, Archipelago undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.
SOURCE Archipelago Exchange
[44 W. 44th Street|DEPECHE MODE]|[ENGINE TURNING: Dr. Strangelove][tm]
CONTACT: wole_m_fayemi@yahoo.com
Margaret Nagle, Archipelago, +1-312-442-7083 +1-312-442-7083
Web site: http://www.archipelago.com
Margaret Nagle, Archipelago, +1-312-442-7083 +1-312-442-7083
Web site: http://www.archipelago.com
--
THE MISEDUCATION OF LAUREN HILL: Produced by DINO, KgA
Copyright (c) 1998: All Rights Reserved
HotelDel.com: THE FRAY
N 2 Gether Now: www.investors.com/options
EIB: The European Investment Bank, Hamburgh
Limp Bizkit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123862834153780427.html were one of the most divisive bands of the late 1990s and early 21st century. A hugely popular group that demonstrated the commercial viability of rap-rock, Limp Bizkit were criticized for their occasionally sexist material and belligerent, cocky attitude, but none of those complaints bothered fans of Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. Limp Bizkit failed to maintain their commercial momentum once rap-rock fell out of favor, but a reunion of the band’s original lineup in 2009 suggested an attempt to recapture the glories of old: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8ItnxlpAc8&feature=PlayList&p=3268D1A54C25D6D4&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=39
A buzz saw of bad attitude, metal guitar and white-boy rapping, Limp Bizkit’s breakthrough album, Significant Other, is unapologetically rude and immature. But perhaps more importantly, it also rocks very, very hard.
Building on the rap-rock template of their 1997 debut, Three Dollar Bill, Y’All, Significant Other finds the group growing in confidence. Wes Borland’s guitar is more agile and frontman Fred Durst’s boasts are more booming, but beyond those technical improvements, the record feels like the sort of ambitious leap forward that up-and-coming bands attempt to announce their aspirations to become superstars. Armed with a fleet of surefire radio singles, Durst uses the opportunity to take aim at anyone who’s ever crossed him, which mostly means unfaithful girlfriends and his competition on the pop charts. You couldn’t exactly describe Significant Other as socially redeeming, but its snide, petty catharsis is undeniable, the sound of one petulant brat unloading his screwed-up psyche onto the world in dramatic, dynamic fashion.
One Aggressive Track After Another: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=938C5A151A190F18&search_query=Limp+Bizkit+Significant+Other
After a cocky intro that proclaims, “You wanted the worst? You got the worst,” the album launches into a series of aggressive tracks that merge hard rock and hip-hop into a snarling statement of misanthropy. The opener, “Just Like This,” features turntable scratching and sets the stage for Durst’s arrogant taunting, letting anyone in earshot know that he and his band can’t be beat. From there we proceed to “Nookie,” a head-banging song whose rhythm track has the same steely menace as top-shelf Public Enemy. Here, Durst lays into a girl who broke his heart, covering up his pain with impressive amounts of vitriol. And then there’s “Break Stuff,” a metal-tinged ode to violent behavior as a way to solve life’s problems.Antisocial Behavior: Glamorized or Genuine?
By this stage of the album, most uptight parents will be repulsed by Limp Bizkit’s antisocial behavior, and Durst definitely opens himself up to criticism that he glamorizes the misogynistic, bad-boy mindset. But like similar albums such as Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Significant Other has a skuzzy integrity that makes its less-appealing qualities at least feel genuine. You may object to Durst’s attitudes toward women, but he’s not being calculated: He clearly is someone who doesn’t have the maturity to enjoy an adult relationship. The authenticity of his confusion turns him into a fascinating character, even if he’s someone you wouldn’t ever want dating your daughter.Durst Can't Get No Satisfaction
And for those who envy Durst's life of groupies or think that he doesn’t deserve such attention from the ladies, Significant Other argues that he’s hardly having much fun. “No Sex,” with its skeletal bass-driven melody, paints a scenario in which Durst is fighting to extricate himself from an enticing cutie who has trapped him in a loveless fling. Part of the reason Durst’s diatribes against the fairer sex seem largely unobjectionable is that, quite honestly, he continually exposes himself to be the real jerk, the one whose insecurities repeatedly torpedo his chances for true love. It’s that tension that makes the album so memorable: Sonically, Significant Other feels like a raucous party, but at its center is one truly unhappy dude.
Release date – June 22, 1999
--
ARCA: NYSE EURONEXT|INSTINET
--
LIMP BIZKIT: SIGNIFICANT OTHER
--
Limp Bizkit's Origins: STONE TEMPLE PILOTS_NOTION
Stone Temple Pilots' Origins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNay98NtM0Q&feature=PlayList&p=938C5A151A190F18&index=8
Limp Bizkit formed in 1995 in Jacksonville, Florida. The permanent lineup was established soon after, with Fred Durst taking lead vocals, Wes Borland on guitar, Sam Rivers on bass, John Otto manning the drums, and DJ Lethal handling the turntables and keyboards. From the beginning, Limp Bizkit were interested in melding the aggression of metal with the cutting-edge sounds of hip-hop. Through a friendship with the pioneering nu-metal band Korn, Limp Bizkit was able to parlay some demos into a record contact with Interscope.
A So-So Rap-Rock Debut:
Limp Bizkit made their debut on 1997’s Three Dollar Bill, Y’all. Listening to the album, it was easy to pick out Limp Bizkit’s influences, as they evoked the white funk of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the angst of Korn. (Interestingly, Three Dollar Bill’s biggest hit was a bratty cover of George Michael’s “Faith.”) Singer Fred Durst came across as an angry, loudmouth punk, but Wes Borland’s guitar and DJ Lethal’s scratching added drama and intensity to the somewhat generic rap-rock tunes. Three Dollar Bill’s commercial performance wasn’t promising, but Limp Bizkit were merely setting the stage for their next album.
Superstars:
Limp Bizkit’s sophomore album, 1999’s Significant Other, was a revelation. The previous objections still applied – Durst was a snide bully, the band glorified a crude attitude toward women – but Significant Other’s songs were too forceful to deny. On “Nookie,” “Re-Arranged” and “Break Stuff,” Limp Bizkit hit like pile drivers, turning suburban-teen discontent into anthems of aggression. Within five months, the album had gone quintuple-platinum, and Limb Bizkit were superstars.
Limp Bizkit Return With a 'Chocolate Starfish':
Looking to capitalize on their success, Limp Bizkit returned a year later with Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. The sort of album a band puts out after conquering the world, Chocolate Starfish was ambitious in scope while featuring a litany of fame-is-hard tirades from Durst. The title may have been dopey, but Chocolate Starfish continued the band’s winning streak, quickly going quadruple-platinum and launching five singles onto the rock charts.
Commercial Decline:
Limp Bizkit’s decline began shortly after Chocolate Starfish. Borland left the band, and although Mike Smith replaced him in the lineup, the group’s signature guitar sound had been compromised. In 2001, Limp Bizkit released a remix record called New Old Songs and then returned two years later with a proper studio album, Results May Vary. Whether due to Borland’s absence or a general lack of creative spark, Results May Vary sounded anemic – the bad-boy attitude and juicy juvenile streak had given way to a dull professionalism. Rap-rock’s commercial vitality was long gone, and Limp Bizkit now seemed badly dated.
The End:
In 2005, Limp Bizkit (now with Borland back in the fold) released The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1). The seven-song album failed to register with audiences and quickly sank down the charts. Borland quit the band again, and Durst put the band out to pasture while he focused on film directing.
Reunion:
Limp Bizkit returned in February 2009, announcing that Borland had rejoined the lineup and that the group would be putting together a new album. A world tour was set for the spring.
Limp Bizkit Lineup:
Wes Borland – guitar
Fred Durst – vocals
John Otto – drums
Sam Rivers – bass
DJ Lethal – turntables, keyboards
Fred Durst – vocals
John Otto – drums
Sam Rivers – bass
DJ Lethal – turntables, keyboards
Essential Limp Bizkit Album:
Significant Other
The sound of enraged male hormones trying to make sense of the wider world, Significant Other is fascinating in how it transforms rap-rock into an expression of both bravado and insecurity. Underneath the dynamic stomp of “Nookie” and “Break Stuff,” Fred Durst struggles to figure out how a loser like him can ever find true love or satisfaction. The snotty attitude that pervades Significant Other can be a turnoff, but Wes Borland’s frenzied guitar playing and the band’s tight propulsion make for riveting accompaniment to Durst’s personal issues.
The sound of enraged male hormones trying to make sense of the wider world, Significant Other is fascinating in how it transforms rap-rock into an expression of both bravado and insecurity. Underneath the dynamic stomp of “Nookie” and “Break Stuff,” Fred Durst struggles to figure out how a loser like him can ever find true love or satisfaction. The snotty attitude that pervades Significant Other can be a turnoff, but Wes Borland’s frenzied guitar playing and the band’s tight propulsion make for riveting accompaniment to Durst’s personal issues.
Limp Bizkit Discography:
Three Dollar Bill, Y’all (1997) ![Compare Prices]()
Significant Other (1999)![Compare Prices]()
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)![Compare Prices]()
New Old Songs (remix album) (2001)![Compare Prices]()
Results May Vary (2003)![Compare Prices]()
The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005)![Compare Prices]()
Greatest Hitz (2005)![Compare Prices]()
Significant Other (1999)
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
New Old Songs (remix album) (2001)
Results May Vary (2003)
The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005)
Greatest Hitz (2005)
More Limp Bizkit
Related Rock Bands
Limp Bizkit Online
Sponsored Links
--
EIB submits SEC Form 18-K/A
-EN
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has submitted its Form 18-K/A SEC.
To view the document, please go to www.edgar.gov
To view the document, please go to www.edgar.gov
The 18-K/A has also been posted on the EIB website at the following location: http://www.eib.org/investor_relations/publications/eib-annual-18-k-a-report-2008-amendment-n-1.htm.
EDGAR: Hard copies of the 18-K/A may be ordered via this website location.
--
--
W.O. Bentley (WO to his friends) and his brother HM bought Lecoq and Fernie, a French auto company, renaming it Bentley and Bentley, with headquarters in Mayfair. In 1919, after a stint making airplane engines during WWI, the company was resurrected as Bentley Motors. The first Flying B insignia appeared on the 1920 Bentley 3 1/2 Liter test car, which was built near Baker Street in London, and the first production car, another 3 1/2 Liter, was delivered to Bentley's first customer in 1921.
The Race for More Power: 1921 - 1930
Bentley saw its first win at Brooklands in 1921, then entered its only Indianapolis 500 in 1922, where it qualified and finished last. A privately owned Bentley took 4th place in the first-ever Le Mans in 1923, prompting W.O. Bentley to support a factory team. (He called it "the best race I had ever seen," according to "Bentley: The Story.") Engines grew ever larger in Roaring Twenties, with a 6 1/2 Liter, a 4 1/2 Liter, a supercharged Speed Six, and an 8 Liter that weighed two and a half tons rolling out of the Cricklewood factory. Driver Tim Birkin got private financing to build the supercharged Birkin Blowers.
Rolls-Royce Buys Bentley: KEY FOODS
WO's dedication to quality created beautiful cars -- and a financial mess. In 1926, he was demoted to managing director to make room for Woolf Barnato to become chairman. By 1931, things were no better. Rolls-Royce bought the company and kept WO on, if only to keep him from creating a new company that could compete with R-R. The first Rolls-produced Bentley, the 3.5 Liter, debuted in 1933, and WO left the company for Lagonda in 1935. In 1939, the Bentley factory at Crewe opened.
Swallowed Whole: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
"Bentley: The Story" calls Bentley's period of Rolls-Royce ownership "the blackest of all." The MkVI of 1946 was the first Bentley to be built using Rolls components, and the 1952 R-Type Continental was the last Bentley built without a Rolls equivalent. Bentleys and Rolls-Royces were built side-by-side at the Crewe facility, with a Bentley-badged clone for every Rolls that rolled off the assembly line. WO Bentley died during this time, in 1971 at age 83.
The Rebirth: KEY BANK
The tide turned for Bentley with the introduction of the 1982 Bentley Mulsanne Turbo, named for the straight at Le Mans. In 1984, the Bentley Corniche was renamed the Continental, harkening back to the company's roots. The Bentley Continental R, which debuted in 1991, was the first Bentley to have its own dedicated body since 1954. With Bentley outselling Rolls by the early '90s, the companies celebrated 50 years of partnership by using a green background on the Flying B for all 1993 models. The next year, Rolls made a deal with BMW to the German company to supply engines for the two British marques.
Divorce from the Enemy: MINIUSA.COM
Volkswagen bought Rolls-Royce in 1998, including Bentley. BMW then bought the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and announced that as of December 31, 2002, Rolls and Bentley would be two separate companies after 67 years of barely tolerating each other. VW announced that it would invest nearly $1 billion (in today's dollars) to revive Bentley. The Hunaudieres concept car debuted in Geneva in 1999 and proved to be a step in the direction of the new Continental. In 2001, Bentley returned to Le Mans, then dropped out again in 2003. The 2006 Bentley Azure became the resurrected Bentley's flagship luxury sedan.
Toward the Future: COOPER UNION
Since its introduction at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, the Bentley Continental lineup has expanded from one very fast sedan to seven even faster sedans and convertibles, including one flex-fuel vehicle. Each has the 6-liter W12 engine, but the Continental Supersports, as part of Bentleys commitment to reducing its carbon footprint company-wide, can run on either gasoline or biofuels. With the introduction of the Bentley Mulsanne in the summer of 2009, though, Bentley was back on firm ground with a long, luxurious, gasoline-powered sedan.
--
RACING IMPROVES THE BREED: A Breed Apart(tm)
Porsche wasn't the only automaker caught out by Group B's elimination. Jaguar had planned on the XJ220 being a Group B racer, and Ferrari was working on the 288 GTO Evoluzione. The latter provided the basis for Ferrari's F40, arguably the era's true rival to the 959, though they are quite different machines.
999: DER NEU BEETLE
Cost was also a killer. The price of a 959 was around $350,000 but it reputedly cost Porsche $500,000 to hand build each supercar. To cut its losses, Porsche topped production at 226 in 1989 and never did a U.S. edition. Yet the 959 was so highly regarded that several well-heeled U.S. enthusiasts, including Microsoft's Bill Gates and Paul Allen, imported them and in the early 1990s the factory built perhaps a dozen more cars and sold them for $1 million each.
U.S. 959 owners couldn't do much with their cars legally until 2000. A driving force behind the "show and display" rule — often called The Gates Law — that allows U.S. 959s was Bruce Canepa and his well known design house in Scotts Valley, California. Not only can owners like Gates, Allen, Ralph Lauren and Jerry Seinfeld now drive their cars, but Canepa imports 959s and makes them legal. Better yet, they are upgraded to 640 bhp and 570 lb.-ft. of torque, with 0–60 dropping to 3.0 seconds and the top speed climbing to 222 mph. Like the 959 Sport, the Canepa cars have a fixed-height suspension, with updated struts and springs.
For all its racing heritage and intent, the 959 had little competition work. A pair finished 1-2 in the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally and the 961 racing version took its class and 7th overall in the year's Le Mans, but that was it.
At that point, Porsche victories at Le Mans were the norm. By 1998 when it won yet again, this time with the outrageous GT1, there had been 16 Porsche-powered overall wins at Le Mans since 1970...and thus far, no more.
K-11: Paris-Dakar
Porsche had planned a Le Mans return with a V-10-powered open GT1 successor, but that was scuttled in favor of a commercial necessity, the Cayenne SUV. We gnashed our teeth over this heretical move until the Paris auto show in 2000. At a dark and stormy 6 a.m., down in the bowels of the Louvre, Porsche uncovered the Carrera GT and redeemed itself. Again, racing has shown a way to improve the breed of road cars.
Using the thinking and components of that stillborn Le Mans car, Porsche created its newest supercar. Like the 959, it is a technical tour de force: a 220-lb. carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic monocoque, with carbon fiber also used for many body panels. The 40-valve 5.7-liter V-10 is aluminum with an odd 68 degrees between banks, 605 bhp at a humming 8000 rpm and 435 lb.-ft. of torque at 5750 rpm. To keep the engine low in the $440,000 Carrera GT, Porsche gave it a dry sump (not unusual) and created a 7.7-lb., 6.6-in.-diameter Ceramic Composite Clutch (quite unusual) to go with the 6-speed manual gearbox.
R&T got a Carrera GT to 60 mph in 3.6 sec. and the top speed is said to be 205...about even with the original 959. Its A-arm suspension and wide Michelin Pilot Sports got the mid-engine, rear-drive GT around the skidpad at an impressive 0.99g.
And then there's the shape of the Carrera GT, penned by Milwaukee's own Grant Larson, who also did the original Boxster. Where the 959 epitomized the 911 style, the Carrera GT keeps an eye on Porsche heritage, but kicks it into the 21st century.
But not too far, as the Carrera GT's production run ended in 2006 after 1270 were built in Leipzig.
Elsewhere in this issue, we've assembled a list of the Porsche Tech Top 10. It comes as no surprise that both the 959 and Carrera GT make the list.
One wonders, what's next, Porsche?
--
--
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common features of all types. The main types are: the internal combustion engine, used extensively in motor vehicles; the steam engine, the mainstay of the Industrial Revolution; and the niche application Stirling engine.
COPENHAGEN: CORK_BIRKENSTOCK
There may be one or more pistons. Each piston is inside a cylinder, into which a gas is introduced, either already hot and under pressure (steam engine), or heated inside the cylinder either by ignition of a fuel air mixture (internal combustion engine) or by contact with a hot heat exchanger in the cylinder (stirling engine). The hot gases expand, pushing the piston to the bottom of the cylinder. The piston is returned to the cylinder top (Top Dead Centre) either by a flywheel or the power from other pistons connected to the same shaft. In most types the expanded or "exhausted" gases are removed from the cylinder by this stroke. The exception is the Stirling engine, which repeatedly heats and cools the same sealed quantity of gas.
In some designs the piston may be powered in both directions in the cylinder in which case it is said to be double acting.
In all types the linear movement of the piston is converted to a rotating movement via a connecting rod and a crankshaft or by a swashplate. A flywheel is often used to ensure smooth rotation. The more cylinders a reciprocating engine has, generally, the more vibration-free (smoothly) it can operate. The power of a reciprocating engine is proportional to the volume of the combined pistons' displacement.
A seal needs to be made between the sliding piston and the walls of the cylinder so that the high pressure gas above the piston does not leak past it and reduce the efficiency of the engine. This seal is provided by one or more piston rings. These are rings made of a hard metal which are sprung into a circular groove in the piston head. The rings fit tightly in the groove and press against the cyinder wall to form a seal.
It is common for such engines to be classified by the number and alignment of cylinders and the total volume of displacement of gas by the pistons moving in the cylinders usually measured in cubic centimetres (cm³ or cc) or litres (l) or (L) (US:liter). For example for internal combustion engines, single and two-cylinder designs are common in smaller vehicles such as motorcycles, while automobiles typically have between four and eight, and locomotives, and ships may have a dozen cylinders or more. Cylinder capacities may range from 10 cm³ or less in model engines up to several thousand cubic centimetres in ships' engines.
The compression ratio is a measure of the performance in an internal-combustion engine or a Stirling Engine. It is the ratio between the volume of the cylinder, when the piston is at the bottom of its stroke, and the volume when the piston is at the top of its stroke.
STIRLING MOSS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_engines
Distributed generation, also called on-site generation, dispersed generation, embedded generation, decentralized generation, decentralized energy or distributed energy, generates electricity from many small energy sources.
Currently, industrial countries generate most of their electricity in large centralized facilities, such as coal, nuclear, hydropower or gas powered plants. These plants have excellent economies of scale, but usually transmit electricity long distances.
Most plants are built this way due to a number of economic, health & safety, logistical, environmental, geographical and geological factors. For example, coal power plants are built away from cities to prevent their heavy air pollution from affecting the populace, in addition such plants are often built near collieries to minimize the cost of transporting coal. Hydroelectric plants are by their nature limited to operating at sites with sufficient waterflow. Most power plants are often considered to be too far away for their waste heat to be used for heating buildings.
Low pollution is a crucial advantage of combined cycle plants that burn natural gas. The low pollution permits the plants to be near enough to a city to be used for district heating and cooling.
Distributed generation is another approach. It reduces the amount of energy lost in transmitting electricity because the electricity is generated very near where it is used, perhaps even in the same building. This also reduces the size and number of power lines that must be constructed.
Typical distributed power sources in a Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme have low maintenance, low pollution and high efficiencies. In the past, these traits required dedicated operating engineers, and large, complex plants to pay their salaries and reduce pollution. However, modern embedded systems can provide these traits with automated operation and clean fuels, such as sunlight, wind and natural gas. This reduces the size of power plant that can show a profit.
Distributed energy resource (DER) systems are small-scale power generation technologies (typically in the range of 3 kW to 10,000 kW) used to provide an alternative to or an enhancement of the traditional electric power system.
The usual problem with distributed generators are their high costs.
The one exception is probably microhydropower. A well-designed plant has nearly zero maintenance costs per kWh, and generates useful power for many years.
One favored source is solar panels on the roofs of buildings. The production cost is $0.99 to 2.00/W (2007) plus installation and supporting equipment unless the installation is Do it yourself (DIY) bringing the cost to $6.50 to 7.50 (2007).[1] This is comparable to coal power plant costs of $0.582 to 0.906/W (1979),[2][3] adjusting for inflation. Nuclear power is higher at $2.2 to $6.00/W (2007).[4] Most solar cells also have waste disposal issues, since solar cells often contain heavy-metal electronic wastes, such as Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and Copper indium gallium selenide (CuInGaSe), and need to be recycled. The plus side is that unlike coal and nuclear, there are no fuel costs, pollution, mining safety or operating safety issues. Solar also has a low duty cycle, producing peak power at local noon each day. Average duty cycle is typically 20%.
Another favored source is small wind turbines. These have low maintenance, and low pollution. Construction costs are higher ($0.80/W, 2007) per watt than large power plants, except in very windy areas. Wind towers and generators have substantial insurable liabilities caused by high winds, but good operating safety. Wind also tends to be complementary to solar; on days there is no sun there tends to be wind and vice versa. Many distributed generation sites combine wind power and solar power such as Slippery Rock University, which can be monitored online.
Distributed cogeneration sources use natural gas-fired microturbines or reciprocating engines to turn generators. The hot exhaust is then used for space or water heating, or to drive an absorptive chiller [5] for air-conditioning. The clean fuel has only low pollution. Designs currently have uneven reliability, with some makes having excellent maintenance costs, and others being unacceptable.
Cogenerators are also more expensive per watt than central generators. They find favor because most buildings already burn fuels, and the cogeneration can extract more value from the fuel.
Some larger installations utilize combined cycle generation. Usually this consists of a gas turbine whose exhaust boils water for a steam turbine in a Rankine cycle. The condenser of the steam cycle provides the heat for space heating or an absorptive chiller. Combined cycle plants with cogeneration have the highest known thermal efficiencies, often exceeding 85%.
In countries with high pressure gas distribution, small turbines can be used to bring the gas pressure to domestic levels whilst extracting useful energy. If the UK were to implement this countrywide an additional 2-4 GWe would become available. (Note that the energy is already being generated elsewhere to provide the high initial gas pressure - this method simply distributes the energy via a different route.)
Fuel Cell: STEP UP TRANSFORMER AND FLUX CAPACITOR
A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device. It produces electricity from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side), which react in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains within it. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained.
Fuel cells are different from electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant from an external source, which must be replenished[1] – a thermodynamically open system. By contrast, batteries store electrical energy chemically and hence represent a thermodynamically closed system.
Many combinations of fuels and oxidants are possible. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as its fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as its oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.[2]
A fuel cell works by catalysis, separating the component electrons and protons of the reactant fuel, and forcing the electrons to travel through a circuit, hence converting them to electrical power. The catalyst typically comprises a platinum group metal or alloy. Another catalytic process puts the electrons back in, combining them with the protons and oxidant to form waste products (typically simple compounds like water and carbon dioxide).
A typical fuel cell produces a voltage from 0.6 V to 0.7 V at full rated load. Voltage decreases as current increases, due to several factors:
- Activation loss
- Ohmic loss (voltage drop due to resistance of the cell components and interconnects)
- Mass transport loss (depletion of reactants at catalyst sites under high loads, causing rapid loss of voltage)[3]
To deliver the desired amount of energy, the fuel cells can be combined in series and parallel circuits, where series yields higher voltage, and parallel allows a stronger current to be drawn. Such a design is called a fuel cell stack. Further, the cell surface area can be increased, to allow stronger current from each cell.
In the archetypal hydrogen–oxygen proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) design, a proton-conducting polymer membrane, (the electrolyte), separates the anode and cathode sides. This was called a "solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell" (SPEFC) in the early 1970s, before the proton exchange mechanism was well-understood. (Notice that "polymer electrolyte membrane" and "proton exchange mechanism" result in the same acronym.)
On the anode side, hydrogen diffuses to the anode catalyst where it later dissociates into protons and electrons.
These protons often react with oxidants causing them to become what is commonly referred to as multi-facilitated proton membranes (MFPM). The protons are conducted through the membrane to the cathode, but the electrons are forced to travel in an external circuit (supplying power) because the membrane is electrically insulating. On the cathode catalyst, oxygen molecules react with the electrons (which have traveled through the external circuit) and protons to form water — in this example, the only waste product, either liquid or vapor.
In addition to this pure hydrogen type, there are hydrocarbon fuels for fuel cells, including diesel, methanol (see: direct-methanol fuel cells and indirect methanol fuel cells) and chemical hydrides. The waste products with these types of fuel are carbon dioxide and water.
The materials used in fuel cells differ by type. In a typical membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the electrode–bipolar plates are usually made of metal, nickel or carbon nanotubes, and are coated with a catalyst (like platinum, nano iron powders or palladium) for higher efficiency. Carbon paper separates them from the electrolyte. The electrolyte could be ceramic or a membrane.
Exhibit A: DANKE (*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PEM_fuelcell.svg*)
DINO KgA: All Rights Reserved. Invention of Wole M. Fayemi
In a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) design, the anode and cathode are separated by an electrolyte that is conductive to oxygen ions but non-conductive to electrons. The electrolyte is typically made from zirconia doped with yttria.
In general, on the cathode side, oxygen catalytically reacts with a supply of electrons to become oxygen ions, which diffuse through the electrolyte to the anode side. On the anode side, the oxygen ions react with hydrogen to form water and free electrons. A load connected externally between the anode and cathode completes the electrical circuit.
The real SOFC can be fed by other fuels than hydrogen (even without hydrogen at all). The general working principle of SOFC is passing oxygen ions through the electrolyte by the oxygen pressure difference between cathode and anode sides. In the case of air, the oxygen partial pressure at cathode side is about 0.021MPa, whereas at anode side can reach values much lower (10-22MPa). Many various factors have an additional influence on obtained voltage: temperature, pressure, electrolyte type and thickness[5], fuel utilization factor[6], and so on.
SOFC performance modelling is related to the multi-physic processes taking place on the fuel cell surfaces. Heat transfer together with electrochemical reactions, mass and charge transport are conducted inside the cell. The SOFC models found in the literature are based mainly on mathematical descriptions of these physical, chemical, and electrochemical properties. The SOFC models developed thus far are mainly based on the Nernst equation, activation, ohmic, and concentration losses. Moreover, most of the equations used require the addition of numerous factors which are difficult or impossible to determine. There are many parameters which impact cell working conditions, e.g. electrolyte material, electrolyte thickness, cell temperature, inlet and outlet gas compositions at anode and cathode, anode and cathode porosities etc. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) can be applied to simulate an object’s behaviour without an algorithmic solution merely by utilizing available experimental data. Simultaneously, the ANN can make model more general, which means that model gives accurate results for other data than used in training processes[7].
Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) operate in a similar manner, except the electrolyte consists of liquid (molten) carbonate, which is a negative ion and an oxidizing agent. Because the electrolyte loses carbonate in the oxidation reaction, the carbonate must be replenished through some means. This is often performed by recirculating the carbon dioxide from the oxidation products into the cathode where it reacts with the incoming air and reforms carbonate.
Unlike proton exchange fuel cells, the catalysts in SOFCs and MCFCs are not poisoned by carbon monoxide, due to much higher operating temperatures. Because the oxidation reaction occurs in the anode, direct utilization of the carbon monoxide is possible. Also, steam produced by the oxidation reaction can shift carbon monoxide and steam reform hydrocarbon fuels inside the anode. These reactions can use the same catalysts used for the electrochemical reaction, eliminating the need for an external fuel reformer.
MCFC can be used for reducing the CO2 emission from coal fired power plants[8] as well as gas turbine power plants [9].
- Costs. In 2002, typical fuel cell systems cost US$1000 per kilowatt of electric power output. In 2008, the Department of Energy reported that fuel cell system costs in volume production are $73 per kilowatt.[citation needed] The goal is $35 per kilowatt. In 2008 UTC Power has 400 kW stationary fuel cells for $1,000,000 per 400 kW installed costs. The goal is to reduce the cost in order to compete with current market technologies including gasoline internal combustion engines. Many companies are working on techniques to reduce cost in a variety of ways including reducing the amount of platinum needed in each individual cell. Ballard Power Systems have experiments with a catalyst enhanced with carbon silk which allows a 30% reduction (1 mg/cm² to 0.7 mg/cm²) in platinum usage without reduction in performance.[10]. Monash University, Melbourne uses PEDOT instead of platinum.[11]
- The production costs of the PEM (proton exchange membrane). The Nafion membrane currently costs $565.92/m². In 2005 Ballard Power Systems announced that its fuel cells will use Solupor, a porous polyethylene film patented by DSM.[12][13]
- Water and air management[14] (in PEMFCs). In this type of fuel cell, the membrane must be hydrated, requiring water to be evaporated at precisely the same rate that it is produced. If water is evaporated too quickly, the membrane dries, resistance across it increases, and eventually it will crack, creating a gas "short circuit" where hydrogen and oxygen combine directly, generating heat that will damage the fuel cell. If the water is evaporated too slowly, the electrodes will flood, preventing the reactants from reaching the catalyst and stopping the reaction. Methods to manage water in cells are being developed like electroosmotic pumps focusing on flow control. Just as in a combustion engine, a steady ratio between the reactant and oxygen is necessary to keep the fuel cell operating efficiently.
- Temperature management. The same temperature must be maintained throughout the cell in order to prevent destruction of the cell through thermal loading. This is particularly challenging as the 2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O reaction is highly exothermic, so a large quantity of heat is generated within the fuel cell.
- Durability, service life, and special requirements for some type of cells. Stationary fuel cell applications typically require more than 40,000 hours of reliable operation at a temperature of -35 °C to 40 °C (-31 °F to 104 °F), while automotive fuel cells require a 5,000 hour lifespan (the equivalent of 150,000 miles) under extreme temperatures. Current service life is 7,300 hours under cycling conditions[15]. Automotive engines must also be able to start reliably at -30 °C (-22 °F) and have a high power to volume ratio (typically 2.5 kW per liter).
- Limited carbon monoxide tolerance of the cathode.
The principle of the fuel cell was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838 and published in one of the scientific magazines of the time.[16] Based on this work, the first fuel cell was demonstrated by Welsh scientist and barrister Sir William Robert Grove in the February 1839 edition of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science[17] and later sketched, in 1842, in the same journal.[18] The fuel cell he made used similar materials to today's phosphoric-acid fuel cell.
In 1955, W. Thomas Grubb, a chemist working for the General Electric Company (GE), further modified the original fuel cell design by using a sulphonated polystyrene ion-exchange membrane as the electrolyte. Three years later another GE chemist, Leonard Niedrach, devised a way of depositing platinum onto the membrane, which served as catalyst for the necessary hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction reactions. This became known as the 'Grubb-Niedrach fuel cell'. GE went on to develop this technology with NASA and McDonnell Aircraft, leading to its use during Project Gemini. This was the first commercial use of a fuel cell. It wasn't until 1959 that British engineer Francis Thomas Bacon successfully developed a 5 kW stationary fuel cell. In 1959, a team led by Harry Ihrig built a 15 kW fuel cell tractor for Allis-Chalmers which was demonstrated across the US at state fairs. This system used potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte and compressed hydrogen and oxygen as the reactants. Later in 1959, Bacon and his colleagues demonstrated a practical five-kilowatt unit capable of powering a welding machine. In the 1960s, Pratt and Whitney licensed Bacon's U.S. patents for use in the U.S. space program to supply electricity and drinking water (hydrogen and oxygen being readily available from the spacecraft tanks).
United Technologies Corporation's UTC Power subsidiary was the first company to manufacture and commercialize a large, stationary fuel cell system for use as a co-generation power plant in hospitals, universities and large office buildings. UTC Power continues to market this fuel cell as the PureCell 200, a 200 kW system (although soon to be replaced by a 400 kW version, expected for sale in late 2009).[19] UTC Power continues to be the sole supplier of fuel cells to NASA for use in space vehicles, having supplied the Apollo missions,[20] and currently the Space Shuttle program, and is developing fuel cells for automobiles, buses, and cell phone towers; the company has demonstrated the first fuel cell capable of starting under freezing conditions with its proton exchange membrane automotive fuel cell.
The efficiency of a fuel cell is dependent on the amount of power drawn from it. Drawing more power means drawing more current, which increases the losses in the fuel cell. As a general rule, the more power (current) drawn, the lower the efficiency. Most losses manifest themselves as a voltage drop in the cell, so the efficiency of a cell is almost proportional to its voltage. For this reason, it is common to show graphs of voltage versus current (so-called polarization curves) for fuel cells. A typical cell running at 0.7 V has an efficiency of about 50%, meaning that 50% of the energy content of the hydrogen is converted into electrical energy; the remaining 50% will be converted into heat. (Depending on the fuel cell system design, some fuel might leave the system unreacted, constituting an additional loss.)
For a hydrogen cell operating at standard conditions with no reactant leaks, the efficiency is equal to the cell voltage divided by 1.48 V, based on the enthalpy, or heating value, of the reaction. For the same cell, the second law efficiency is equal to cell voltage divided by 1.23 V. (This voltage varies with fuel used, and quality and temperature of the cell.) The difference between these numbers represents the difference between the reaction's enthalpy and Gibbs free energy. This difference always appears as heat, along with any losses in electrical conversion efficiency.
Fuel cells do not operate on a thermal cycle. As such, they are not constrained, as combustion engines are, in the same way by thermodynamic limits, such as Carnot cycle efficiency. At times this is misrepresented by saying that fuel cells are exempt from the laws of thermodynamics, because most people think of thermodynamics in terms of combustion processes (enthalpy of formation). The laws of thermodynamics also hold for chemical processes (Gibbs free energy) like fuel cells, but the maximum theoretical efficiency is higher (83% efficient at 298K [21] in the case of hydrogen/oxygen reaction) than the Otto cycle thermal efficiency (60% for compression ratio of 10 and specific heat ratio of 1.4). Comparing limits imposed by thermodynamics is not a good predictor of practically achievable efficiencies. Also, if propulsion is the goal, electrical output of the fuel cell has to still be converted into mechanical power with the corresponding inefficiency. In reference to the exemption claim, the correct claim is that the "limitations imposed by the second law of thermodynamics on the operation of fuel cells are much less severe than the limitations imposed on conventional energy conversion systems".[22] Consequently, they can have very high efficiencies in converting chemical energy to electrical energy, especially when they are operated at low power density, and using pure hydrogen and oxygen as reactants.
In should be underlined that fuel cell (especially high temperature) can be used as a heat source in conventional heat engine (gas turbine system). In this case the ultra high efficiency is predicted (above 70%)[23][24].
For a fuel cell operating on air (rather than bottled oxygen), losses due to the air supply system must also be taken into account. This refers to the pressurization of the air and dehumidifying it. This reduces the efficiency significantly and brings it near to that of a compression ignition engine. Furthermore fuel cell efficiency decreases as load increases.
The tank-to-wheel efficiency of a fuel cell vehicle is about 45% at low loads and shows average values of about 36% when a driving cycle like the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) is used as test procedure.[25] The comparable NEDC value for a Diesel vehicle is 22%. In 2008 Honda released a car (the Honda FCX Clarity) with fuel stack claiming a 60% tank-to-wheel efficiency [26].
It is also important to take losses due to fuel production, transportation, and storage into account. Fuel cell vehicles running on compressed hydrogen may have a power-plant-to-wheel efficiency of 22% if the hydrogen is stored as high-pressure gas, and 17% if it is stored as liquid hydrogen.[27] In addition to the production losses, over 70% of US' electricity used for hydrogen production comes from thermal power, which only has an efficiency of 33% to 48%, resulting in a net increase in carbon dioxide production by using hydrogen in vehicles.
Fuel cells cannot store energy like a battery, but in some applications, such as stand-alone power plants based on discontinuous sources such as solar or wind power, they are combined with electrolyzers and storage systems to form an energy storage system. The overall efficiency (electricity to hydrogen and back to electricity) of such plants (known as round-trip efficiency) is between 30 and 50%, depending on conditions.[28] While a much cheaper lead-acid battery might return about 90%, the electrolyzer/fuel cell system can store indefinite quantities of hydrogen, and is therefore better suited for long-term storage.
Solid-oxide fuel cells produce exothermic heat from the recombination of the oxygen and hydrogen. The ceramic can run as hot as 800 degrees Celsius. This heat can be captured and used to heat water in a micro combined heat and power (m-CHP) application. When the heat is captured, total efficiency can reach 80-90% at the unit, but does not consider production and distribution losses. CHP units are being developed today for the European home market.
Fuel cells are very useful as power sources in remote locations, such as spacecraft, remote weather stations, large parks, rural locations, and in certain military applications. A fuel cell system running on hydrogen can be compact and lightweight, and have no major moving parts. Because fuel cells have no moving parts and do not involve combustion, in ideal conditions they can achieve up to 99.9999% reliability.[29] This equates to around one minute of down time in a two year period.
Micro combined heat and power systems such as home fuel cells and cogeneration for office buildings and factories are in mass production phase. The stationary fuel cell application generates constant electric power (selling excess power back to the grid when it is not consumed), and at the same time produces hot air and water from the waste heat. A lower fuel-to-electricity conversion efficiency is tolerated (typically 15-20%), because most of the energy not converted into electricity is utilized as heat. Some heat is lost with the exhaust gas just as in a normal furnace, so the combined heat and power efficiency is still lower than 100%, typically around 80%. In terms of exergy however, the process is inefficient, and one could do better by maximizing the electricity generated and then using the electricity to drive a heat pump. Phosphoric-acid fuel cells (PAFC) comprise the largest segment of existing CHP products worldwide and can provide combined efficiencies close to 90%[30] (35-50% electric + remainder as thermal) Molten-carbonate fuel cells have also been installed in these applications, and solid-oxide fuel cell prototypes exist.
Since electrolyzer systems do not store fuel in themselves, but rather rely on external storage units, they can be successfully applied in large-scale energy storage, rural areas being one example. In this application, batteries would have to be largely oversized to meet the storage demand, but fuel cells only need a larger storage unit (typically cheaper than an electrochemical device).
One such pilot program is operating on Stuart Island in Washington State. There the Stuart Island Energy Initiative[31] has built a complete, closed-loop system: Solar panels power an electrolyzer which makes hydrogen. The hydrogen is stored in a 500 gallon tank at 200 PSI, and runs a ReliOn fuel cell to provide full electric back-up to the off-the-grid residence. The SIEI website gives extensive technical details.
In 2003, the world's first propeller driven airplane to be powered entirely by a fuel cell was flown (the first fuel cell powered aircraft was the Space Shuttle). The fuel cell was a unique FlatStackTM stack design which allowed the fuel cell to be integrated with the aerodynamic surfaces of the plane.[32]
ELEMENT ONE: In The End
LOST IN TRANSLATION: Confused and Insecure
Electrochemical extraction of energy from hydrogen via fuel cells is an especially clean method of meeting power requirements, but not an efficient one, due to the necessity of adding large amounts of energy to either water or hydrocarbon fuels in order to produce the hydrogen. Additionally, during the extraction of hydrogen from hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide is released. Although this gas is artificially converted into carbon dioxide, such a method of extracting hydrogen remains environmentally injurious.
Also, it must be noted that regarding the concept of the hydrogen vehicle, burning/combustion of hydrogen in an internal combustion engine (IC/ICE) is often confused with the electrochemical process of generating electricity via fuel cells (FC) in which there is no combustion (though there is a small byproduct of heat in the reaction). Both processes require the establishment of a hydrogen economy before they may be considered commercially viable, and even then, the aforementioned energy costs make a hydrogen economy of questionable environmental value. Hydrogen combustion is similar to petroleum combustion, and like petroleum combustion, still results in nitrogen oxides as a by-product of the combustion, which lead to smog. Hydrogen combustion, like that of petroleum, is limited by the Carnot efficiency, and is completely different from the hydrogen fuel cell's chemical conversion process of hydrogen to electricity and water without combustion. Hydrogen fuel cells emit only water during use, while producing carbon dioxide emissions during the majority of hydrogen production, which comes from natural gas. Direct methane or natural gas conversion (whether IC or FC) also generate carbon dioxide emissions, but direct hydrocarbon conversion in high-temperature fuel cells produces lower carbon dioxide emissions than either combustion of the same fuel (due to the higher efficiency of the fuel cell process compared to combustion), and also lower carbon dioxide emissions than hydrogen fuel cells, which use methane less efficiently than high-temperature fuel cells by first converting it to high purity hydrogen by steam reforming. Although hydrogen can also be produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy, at present less than 3% of hydrogen is produced in this way.
Hydrogen is an energy carrier, and not an energy source, because it must be produced by adding energy from other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, wind power, nuclear power, or solar photovoltaic cells. Hydrogen may be produced from subsurface reservoirs of methane and natural gas by a combination of steam reforming with the water gas shift reaction, from coal by coal gasification, or from oil shale by oil shale gasification.[citation needed] low pressure electrolysis of water or high pressure electrolysis, which requires electricity, and high-temperature electrolysis/thermochemical production, which requires high temperatures (ideal for the expected Generation IV reactors), are two primary methods for the extraction of hydrogen from water.
As of 2006, 49.0% of the electricity produced in the United States comes from coal, 19.4% comes from nuclear, 20.0% comes from natural gas, 7.0% from hydroelectricity, 1.6% from petroleum and the remaining 3.1% mostly coming from geothermal, solar and biomass.[53] When hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, the energy comes from these sources.
Though the fuel cell itself will only emit heat and water as waste, pollution is often caused when generating the electricity required to produce the hydrogen that the fuel cell uses as its power source (for example, when fossil fuel-generated electricity is used). This will be the case unless the hydrogen is produced using electricity generated by hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind or other clean power sources (which may or may not include nuclear power, depending on one's attitude to the nuclear waste byproducts); hydrogen is only as clean as the energy sources used to produce it. A holistic approach has to take into consideration the impacts of an extended hydrogen scenario, including the production, the use and the disposal of infrastructure and energy converters.
Nowadays low temperature fuel cell stacks proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) make extensive use of platinum catalysts. Impurities create catalyst poisoning (reducing activity and efficiency) in these low-temperature fuel cells, thus high hydrogen purity or higher catalyst densities are required.[54] Although platinum is seen by some as one of the major "showstoppers" to mass market fuel cell commercialization companies, most predictions of platinum running out and/or platinum prices soaring do not take into account effects of thrifting (reduction in catalyst loading) and recycling. Recent research at Brookhaven National Laboratory could lead to the replacement of platinum by a gold-palladium coating which may be less susceptible to poisoning and thereby improve fuel cell lifetime considerably.[55] Current targets for a transport PEM fuel cells are 0.2 g/kW Pt – which is a factor of 5 decrease over current loadings – and recent comments from major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) indicate that this is possible. Also it is fully anticipated that recycling of fuel cells components, including platinum, will kick in. High-temperature fuel cells, including molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC's) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC's), do not use platinum as catalysts, but instead use cheaper materials such as nickel and nickel oxide, which are considerably more abundant (for example, nickel is used in fairly large quantities in common stainless steel). They also do not experience catalyst poisoning by carbon monoxide, and so they do not require high-purity hydrogen to operate. They can use fuels with an existing and extensive infrastructure, such as natural gas, directly, without having to first reform it externally to hydrogen and CO followed by CO removal. Instead, they can more efficiently use the same fuels that are used to make hydrogen for low-temperature fuel cells. This fuel flexibility, combined with new developments to make SOFCs on cheaper and more durable metal supports, makes SOFCs increasingly important as candidates for transportation, as well as for stationary power. SOFCs have the highest efficiency of all fuel cell types, and their ability to use common fuels, including liquid fuels, may make them more suitable for long-distance vehicular transportation, as well as for stationary power.
Not all geographic markets are ready for SOFC powered m-CHP appliances. Currently, the regions that lead the race in Distributed Generation and deployment of fuel cell m-CHP units are the EU and Japan.
The European Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative is a public-private venture to "deliver 'fit-for-use' hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies developed to the point of commercial take-off".[3]
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative is a component of the Joint Technology Initiatives of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission.
In May 2003, a European Commission High Level Group presented a report on "Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cells — a vision of our future" that recommended the formation of a technology partnership between the Commission and private enterprise for the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The report also recommended the establishment of a pilot programme, with European Commission funding, to make hydrogen and fuel cell technologies commercially viable.
In November of the same year, the EC adopted its "European Initiative for Growth" program that established a Hydrogen economy quick-start project with a budget of 2.8 billion Euros for the decade 2004 through 2015. The initiative allowed for possible funding from structural funds and from the EC's 'Research, Technological development and Demonstration Framework Programmes'. The initiative placed an emphasis on long-term research and cooperation with advisory boards.
In December 2003, the Commission facilitated the establishment of a 'European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform' that sought to bring together interested partners in a joint venture that would further what the High Level Group had envisioned seven months earlier.
In March 2005, the 'European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform' adopted a research agenda for accelerating the development and market introduction of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies within the European Community. This agenda called for funding by the EC and organisations from the public- and private sectors.
On 19 December 2006, the agenda of the Technology Platform were adopted by the Council Decision 2006/975/EC within the EC's Seventh Framework Programme. The prospect of further financing from the European Investment Bank (in particular through its Risk-Sharing Finance Facility) had been established in an earlier decision (2006/971/EC).
In March 2007 the European Council concluded that the Union's member states had an interest in taking a lead position in renewable energy programs. On 10 October 2007, the European Commission adopted two proposals to further the development and marketing of clean and safe hydrogen vehicles. One proposal was to simplify the regulatory procedures for hydrogen-powered vehicles. The other proposal was the establishment up of the 'Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative' as called for by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform.[4]
The Commission's second proposal was duly considered by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, and on 30 May 2008 the Council passed regulation number 521/2008 setting up the "Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking" that will run until 31 December 2017. Article 2 of the regulation stipulated a contribution to the implementation of the Seventh Framework Programme, in particular to its energy-, nanotechnologies-, environment-, and transport-specific programmes. The "Joint Technology Initiative on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen" would accordingly receive appropriations in the general budget of the European Union allocated to those programmes. Article 5 established a maximum community contribution cap of € 470 million. The objectives of the fuel cell initiative were to be pursued by pooling resources from the public and private sectors.
The 'Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative' was launched on 14 October 2008[5] during the General Assembly of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Stakeholders. A press release from the European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform reiterates an estimate "that the activities of the JTI will reduce time to market for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies by between 2 and 5 years."[6]
The public-private joint initiative operates under the auspices of the DG Research of the European Commission, representing the European Communities, and industry.[1]
Governance of the 'Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative' (FCH JTI) lies with the 'Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking'. Members of that body are the European Community and the 'JTI Industry Grouping', with the latter being "a not-for-profit organisation which brings the sector's industrial key players and which is open to any private legal entity sharing the objectives of the FCH JTI."[2]
As of December 2008, the chairman of the governing board is Gijs van Breda Vriesman of Shell Hydrogen.
Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational petroleum company of Dutch and British origins. One of the six "supermajors" (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product marketing companies), Shell was listed as the world's largest corporation for 2009 by Fortune.[1] The company's headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands, with its registered office in London (Shell Centre).[2]
The company's main business is the exploration for and the production, processing, transportation, and marketing of hydrocarbons (petroleum and natural gas). Shell also has a significant petrochemicals business (Shell Chemicals), and an embryonic renewable energy sector developing wind, hydrogen and solar power opportunities. Shell is incorporated in the UK with its corporate headquarters in The Hague, its tax residence is in Netherlands, and its primary listings on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam (only "A" shares are part of the AEX index).
Shell operates in over 140 countries. In the United States, the Shell Oil Company subsidiary, headquartered in Houston, Texas is one of its largest businesses.
--
Nanogate-Technologie®
Nanotechnology is a cross-sectional technology that can be used cross-sector and non-application-dependent and, in future, will influence virtually all areas of life. With Nanogate-Technologie®, a combination of chemistry and materials science on the one hand, and product and process engineering on the other, we have a powerful platform, the potentials of which can be put into practice. We convert technological visions into specific applications, and so provider our customers with new added value and a competitive edge.
Alongside product and process engineering, chemistry and materials sciences represent an important pillar of Nanogate-Technologie®.
Based on chemical nanotechnology , Nanogate combines the classic worlds of the organic and inorganic materials with the varied properties of nano materials . Tailor-made combinations can hence be programmed based on customer and market requirements.
Based on our competences in the chemistry, materials science and engineering sectors, we develop nano composites with chemical nanotechnology and also integrate the nano formulations produced from these in the products of our customers.
By doing this, we systematically apply our chemical know-how from procedures and processes, e.g. in colloid chemistry or the sol-gel chemistry , in order to develop nano-structured materials that then find their application in our customers’ products and processes.
Use of almost any basic material ( precursors ) Use of various procedures of chemical nanotechnology Programming varied material properties and functionalities Fusion of organic and inorganic material worlds Development of complex nano-structured materials and nano composites Fast “time-to-market” by applying finished technology platforms Optimization of nano formulations for the future customer applications Material production in an independent, completely quality-assured production environment
So that we can enable the quickest possible and efficient implementation of our customer’s product requirements, we regularly transform our know-how in chemistry and materials sciences into sophisticated technology platforms. Each of these technology platforms* is made up of a multitude of finished systems that have already been tested in practice and have been implemented in the respective markets. These represent an ideal starting point for the product enhancement for our customers and can even be combined with each other in the form of multifunctional systems.
- anoTension® (surface energy systems)
- anoBarrier® (barrier coatings)
- anoGlide® (tribological systems)
- anoAdd® (most varied of additional functions)
*Our technology platforms are being constantly developed and expanded.
--
Karen Kumposcht
Karen Kumposcht
Filename: BLUE, LLC
IDEA CONTEST #1: http://www.markkostabi.com/assets/images/kostabi2.jpg
OBSIDIAN.NET: http://forums.obsidian.net/index.php?s=68e3e0380700d597ca24df4e2b632c87&showuser=26543
LORD OF THE RINGS: http://www.schloss-benrath.de/en/portal_stiftung/bootportal.asp
HARI_KARI (切腹, "stomach-cutting") is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai honor code, seppuku was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, as a form of capital punishment for samurai who have committed serious offenses, and for reasons that shamed them. Seppuku is performed by plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving the sword left to right in a slicing motion. The practice of committing seppuku at the death of one's master, known as oibara (追腹 or 追い腹, the kun'yomi or Japanese reading) or tsuifuku (追腹, the on'yomi or Chinese reading), follows a similar ritual: HARI_KARI:='kari.koivukoski@stonesoft.com'
JORMA OLLILA: thanks, dude, but i can do the dirty work. how long ago did the "chief strategic officer" of Nokia leave his position to go join the Shell Group in Nigeria, after the announcement of the supplier shift to SIEMENS A.G.[9.11] for the phones? no one needs to fight my battles for me. i'm going to run Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria. I got Exxon backing me up. I assure you, no one's attacking my EEE: Extended Engineering Enterprise.
[9.11] VDO: Siemens supplies the "cryptochip" for the electronic keys used in Cadillacs. They also are the only corporation with facilities on the March Air Reserve in Riverside California: http://www.vdo.com/home
---
---
Digestive tract disorders such as Crohn's disease, colitis and colon cancer are becoming increasingly common, particularly in the western world. Crohn’s disease and colitis can be treated with drugs, notably steroids, but many of these drugs have adverse and unpleasant side effects for patients when administered systemically as whole-body doses. However, by delivering the required drugs directly to the site of disease, dose levels may be lowered and many of these side effects could be reduced.
It is this need for accurate delivery of drugs to specific sites in the intestinal tract that drove the development of Philips Research’s intelligent pill “iPill” for electronically controlled drug delivery. In addition to the potential benefits of this new technology to improve patient therapy, the iPill promises to be a valuable research tool for the development of any new drug that is delivered via the intestinal tract.
Navigating the gut
What Philips Research has developed is a pill that can be swallowed with food or water in the normal way and is then carried along by the normal movement of food through the gut. Knowing where the iPill is in the gut relies on the fact that the gut’s pH value (a measure of acidity) rises sharply upon exiting the stomach and becomes progressively alkaline from the upper intestine onwards. In addition, there is typically a noticeable drop in pH between the small intestine and the colon. Armed with pH information, which is measured by the iPill itself, and data about typical transit times through the gut, the iPill’s location in the gut can be determined with good accuracy. Where greater accuracy is required, external medical imaging equipment could be introduced. Locations where the drug needs to be released could also be determined by medical imaging – for example, endoscopy, MRI or CT scans.
In the form of an 11 x 26 mm capsule, the iPill incorporates a microprocessor, battery, pH sensor, temperature sensor, RF wireless transceiver, fluid pump and drug reservoir. It communicates via its wireless transceiver to a control unit outside the body.
Localized drug delivery is performed by the iPill’s internal pump under the control of the microprocessor, allowing accurate control of the drug delivery profile. Examples of possible delivery profiles include a burst, progressive release or a multi-location dosing.
Pre-planning can be used to determine the target location for drug delivery and hence to define a control program for the microprocessor. This program is loaded into the iPill before it is swallowed, where it controls execution of the drug delivery profile in response to pH measurements taken as the iPill moves through the gut. Further data from the iPill, such as its temperature measurements, are reported wirelessly to an external control unit, which records data and may also transmit additional control signals back to the iPill.
Current status
Philips Research has constructed a prototype iPill capsule and system. The design of iPill is suitable for serial manufacturing. The iPill contains all the components described above and miniaturization was made possible by advanced electronic and mechanical integration. System functionality has been verified by in-vitro testing. Successful programming, measurement, and reporting functions were shown. Drug delivery was verified with model drugs using dissolution apparatus test equipment. The accuracy of the amount of drug dispensed versus time was measured and found to be better than 0.8% (average deviation over 0 - 95% volume dispensed).
It is this need for accurate delivery of drugs to specific sites in the intestinal tract that drove the development of Philips Research’s intelligent pill “iPill” for electronically controlled drug delivery. In addition to the potential benefits of this new technology to improve patient therapy, the iPill promises to be a valuable research tool for the development of any new drug that is delivered via the intestinal tract.
Capsules containing ultra-miniature cameras are already in use as diagnostic tools, but lack the ability to deliver drugs. The challenge for scientists at Philips Research was to find a way of navigating a drug-loaded pill capsule to the site of disease and then releasing a metered amount of drug into the gut at that location.
The mechanical design of Philips Research’s intelligent pill (iPill). In the form of an 11 x 26 mm capsule, the iPill incorporates a microprocessor, battery, pH sensor, temperature sensor, RF wireless transceiver, fluid pump and drug reservoir.
|
Navigating the gut
What Philips Research has developed is a pill that can be swallowed with food or water in the normal way and is then carried along by the normal movement of food through the gut. Knowing where the iPill is in the gut relies on the fact that the gut’s pH value (a measure of acidity) rises sharply upon exiting the stomach and becomes progressively alkaline from the upper intestine onwards. In addition, there is typically a noticeable drop in pH between the small intestine and the colon. Armed with pH information, which is measured by the iPill itself, and data about typical transit times through the gut, the iPill’s location in the gut can be determined with good accuracy. Where greater accuracy is required, external medical imaging equipment could be introduced. Locations where the drug needs to be released could also be determined by medical imaging – for example, endoscopy, MRI or CT scans.
Programmable drug release profiles
In the form of an 11 x 26 mm capsule, the iPill incorporates a microprocessor, battery, pH sensor, temperature sensor, RF wireless transceiver, fluid pump and drug reservoir. It communicates via its wireless transceiver to a control unit outside the body.
Localized drug delivery is performed by the iPill’s internal pump under the control of the microprocessor, allowing accurate control of the drug delivery profile. Examples of possible delivery profiles include a burst, progressive release or a multi-location dosing.
Pre-planning can be used to determine the target location for drug delivery and hence to define a control program for the microprocessor. This program is loaded into the iPill before it is swallowed, where it controls execution of the drug delivery profile in response to pH measurements taken as the iPill moves through the gut. Further data from the iPill, such as its temperature measurements, are reported wirelessly to an external control unit, which records data and may also transmit additional control signals back to the iPill.
Current status
Philips Research has constructed a prototype iPill capsule and system. The design of iPill is suitable for serial manufacturing. The iPill contains all the components described above and miniaturization was made possible by advanced electronic and mechanical integration. System functionality has been verified by in-vitro testing. Successful programming, measurement, and reporting functions were shown. Drug delivery was verified with model drugs using dissolution apparatus test equipment. The accuracy of the amount of drug dispensed versus time was measured and found to be better than 0.8% (average deviation over 0 - 95% volume dispensed).
--
Company: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
Business: Medical product development
Number of Employees: 80
Business: Medical product development
Number of Employees: 80
GOD: http://www.aastrom.com/ is a tough act to follow, a designer of elegant systems that are rarely surpassed. But scientists at a small biotechnology company in Michigan did it, building a small device that acts just like human bone marrow and in some ways is even better.
Relying on co-funding from NIST's Advanced Technology Program (ATP), scientists at Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., designed and built an experimental system that successfully grows therapeutic amounts of functional human stem cells, which normally reside in the bone marrow of healthy individuals and mature into blood and immune system cells.
Stem cells harvested from patients and other donors currently are used to treat approximately 12,000 U.S. patients annually (and the number is growing) whose own stem cells are missing or damaged, often because of radiation or chemical treatments for cancer. The Aastrom bioreactor may offer significant advantages over traditional cell-harvesting techniques to both patients and the U.S. economy:
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![Audi Pikes Peak Quattro Concept preproduction sketch]()
- The new approach could reduce the cost of stem cell therapy by an estimated 25 percent.
- Cancer may be less likely to recur, based on studies in which cultured cells were less contaminated with tumor cells than the patients' own bone marrow before culture.
- Up to 96 percent less tissue needs to be harvested, reducing donor pain and expanding the utility of stem cells from other sources, such as umbilical cord blood (UCB).
Moreover, in the future, the technology could provide new approaches to blood replacement, gene therapy, wound repair, and other medical treatments. "We have found that the device, as a platform, is applicable to other cell types beyond bone marrow and UCB," notes Alan Smith, vice president for research.
The world has taken due notice. The Aastrom approach to cell therapy, now in clinical trials with more than 70 patients at six sites in the United States and Europe, has generated considerable excitement among private investors, who have poured more than $70 million into the company since the two-year ATP project began in 1992. Aastrom already has a marketing alliance with a company that hopes to distribute and service the devices for stem cell therapy.
The scientific importance of the advances generated in the ATP project is reflected by more than 100 papers and 14 patents that Aastrom either owns or licenses exclusively, including a patent on the basic stem-cell replication method. "To use an analogy: We invented the car; everyone else is coming up with turbochargers or some other accessory to the original invention," the company's patent lawyer told The New York Times in July 1997.
At the center of all this excitement is a desktop-sized device that, like a videocassette recorder, is designed to hold disposable cassettes. A small amount of harvested tissue is injected into a cassette--which is about the size of a large pizza--in which growth factors, oxygen, and proprietary processes stimulate production.
Unlike the typical bioreactor, which relies on an external source of oxygen requiring recirculation of the growth medium at a high rate (generating uneven concentrations of materials), the Aastrom device achieves consistent culture conditions through internal oxygenation and a slow, radial perfusion process, Smith says.
The challenging design task required an interdisciplinary team with expertise in cell biology; biochemistry; chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering; software design; and other fields. The ATP funding enabled the company to accelerate by up to two years the design and construction of a prototype cell-culturing device and the instrumentation for automated operations.
If the clinical trials are successful and the Food and Drug Administration approves the bioreactor for clinical use, then the technology would compete against two traditional cell-therapy approaches: direct harvesting of bone marrow tissue and peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection after stem cells are induced by drugs to move into the bloodstream.
Aastrom estimates that its procedure would require only 1 to 3 hours of patient time, compared to 16 hours of total procedure time for bone marrow harvesting and 39 hours for PBPC. Moreover, Aastrom's approach requires the cell donor to undergo only one skin puncture to withdraw approximately 40 milliliters (ml) of bone marrow, whereas direct harvesting requires up to 140 painful skin punctures to withdraw 1,000 ml. Aastrom's approach also eliminates the drug used in the PBPC process.
The Aastrom technology may expand the therapeutic use of UCB, which is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after childbirth. UCB is becoming increasingly popular for cell therapy because it is easy to collect, tumor free, and potentially less subject to issues of tissue incompatibility between donor and recipient. However, the amounts of UCB available for transplantation are severely limited.
The Aastrom system has passed initial safety and efficacy tests, and the results of preclinical trials are promising. In one study at Loyola University Medical Center, six breast-cancer patients not only recovered vital cell function but also exhibited a very low incidence of side effects. In an expanded study with 19 patients, bone marrow cells underwent about a sixfold median expansion over 12 days in the bioreactor, providing sufficient stem cells for transplantation. This is no small achievement, because only a fraction of 1 percent of bone marrow cells are stem cells.
Of particular significance to patients, both the Loyola research and a separate study by Aastrom and Duke University Medical Center showed that cells grown outside the body were less contaminated with tumor cells than the patients' own bone marrow, suggesting that cancer may be less likely to recur after treatment.
In the ongoing clinical trials, bone marrow cells are being cultured to treat breast cancer patients, and UCB cells are being expanded to treat adults and children with a variety of conditions, such as leukemia, single-gene defects, and immune deficiencies, Smith says. In the latter cases, the patients could not be treated using traditional approaches unless a suitable donor could be found.
The Aastrom technology has intrigued the National Institutes of Health, which recently awarded the company two grants, including one to develop a novel AIDS therapy. Aastrom is collaborating with University of Colorado researchers to insert cell-destruction genes into AIDS patients' stem cells, which then would be expanded in the bioreactor and transplanted back into the patient. The idea is to cause cells infected with the AIDS virus to die before the virus can replicate.
June 1998
BILL CORD: http://www.carnut.com/show/acd/acdind.html
BRINGING BROWN CORDS BACK INTO STYLE: http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/philips-pronto-tsu-7500.jpg
It isn’t just gearheads who have lots of av equipment anymore. Everyone that sees high definition and hears multichannel sound wants to know what they need to do to have that experience in their home. More and more equipment is ending up in mass market users’ homes as people chase better sound and image. One problem with this that we all share: no one wants half a dozen remote controls sitting on an end table.
That’s where universal remotes come in. Universal remotes are available in a staggering variety of functionality, from $10 candy bars that are barely suitable for controlling a TV and a DVD player, to units that more closely resemble tablet PCs that will control everything from your home theater to your lighting to your home security system. For the purposes of this article I am concerned with units that will unify a home theater with a handful of components running off IR commands, although adding RF to the equation is trivial and will appeal to some.
First off, just forget about the cheap universal remotes from Sony, Philips and the like. These units are adequate for some whose needs are minimal, but for those trying to elegantly command a multi component home theater system they come up short.
Second, I am not going to talk about the ultra high end units from RTI, Philips and Universal Remote. You guys either already know this stuff, or the installer you’re paying does.
So, for us Joe Sixpacks with home theaters that are comprised of four to eight components, what are the best options?
Philips doesn’t have as big a presence in the North American market as they do in Europe. Their universal remotes are around in some of the big box stores, but American readers may be forced to go online if they have their hearts set on a Philips. The Philips Pronto line has been around for awhile and has a huge following. The Pronto line is characterized by large LCD screens and minimal hard buttons. Pronto users have a lot of freedom in configuring their GUI, provided they take the time to learn the intricacies of Pronto theming. They have a lot of sex appeal, but I’m not a big fan of remotes that force me to look at the remote when I use it. Personally I find it more intuitive to let my muscle memory deal with an assortment of hard buttons and look to the LCD display for less frequently used tasks. Philips makes Pronto remotes that fall in both categories.
Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel (similar to twill) to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between the tufts. The word "corduroy" can be used as a noun, a transitive verb, or an adjective. Corduroy is, in essence, a ridged form of velvet.
While the word "corduroy" looks as if it should have a French origin, as if derived from "corde du roi" ("cloth/cord of the king"), in fact there is no such phrase in French, and the word, like the cloth, is of English origin, probably from cord plus the obsolete duroy, a coarse woolen fabric.[1] Corduroy is believed to have been first produced in Leeds, England.
As a fabric, corduroy is considered a durable cloth. Socially speaking, the clothes made from corduroy are considered casual to business casual, and are usually favored in colder climates. Corduroy is most commonly found in the construction of trousers. The material is also used in the construction of (sport) jackets and shirts. The width of the cord is commonly referred to as the size of the "wale".[2] The lower the "wale" number, the thicker the width of the wale (i.e., 4-wale is much thicker than 11-wale). Wide wale is more commonly found on trousers; medium, narrow, and fine wale fabrics are usually found in garments used above the waist.
Corduroy is made by weaving extra sets of fiber into the base fabric to form vertical ridges called wales. The wales are built so that clear lines can be seen when they are cut into pile. Types or corduroy are:
- 11-wale corduroy: A corduroy with narrower wales (11 per inch).
- pigment dyed/printed corduroy: The process of coloring or printing fabric with pigment dyes. The dye is applied to the surface of the fabric, then the garment is cut and sewn. When washed in the final phase of the manufacturing process, the pigment dye washes out in an irregular way, creating a vintage look. The color of each garment becomes softer with each washing, and there is a subtle color variation from one to the next. No two are alike.
- pincord/pinwale/needlecord: Corduroy’s wale count per inch can vary from 1.5 to 21, although the traditional standard falls somewhere between 10 and 12. Pincord is the finest cord around with a count that’s right at the upper end of the spectrum (above 16) and has a feel that’s as soft as velvet and superlight.
Umbilical cord blood: CORDBLOOD.COM is blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord after childbirth. Cord blood is obtained from the umbilical cord at the time of childbirth, after the cord has been detached from the newborn.[1] Cord blood is collected because it contains stem cells, including hematopoietic cells, which can be used to treat hematopoietic and genetic disorders.[2] Some placental blood may be returned to the neonatal circulation if the umbilical cord is not prematurely clamped.[3] In some obstetric and midwifery practices, physiological extended-delayed cord clamping protocol, as well as water birth, allows for the cord blood to pulse into the neonate for 2–20 minutes after delivery.[4] If the umbilical cord is not clamped, a physiological clamping occurs upon interaction with cold air, when the internal gelatinous substance, called Wharton's jelly, swells around the umbilical artery and veins.
Umbilical cord blood is the blood left over in the placenta and in the umbilical cord after the birth of the baby. The cord blood contains stem cells, including hematopoietic cells. Umbilical cord blood is well-recognized to be useful for treating hematopoietic and genetic disorders.[5] Removing the umbilical cord blood is not harmful to the baby and the blood would normally be thrown away as medical waste.
There are several methods for collecting cord blood. The method most commonly used in clinical practice is the “closed technique”, which is similar to standard blood collection techniques. With this method, the technician cannulates the vein of the severed umbilical cord using a needle that is connected to a blood bag, and cord blood flows through the needle into the bag. On average, the closed technique enables collection of about 75 ml cord blood.[6].
Collected cord blood is cryopreserved and then stored in a cord blood bank for future transplantation. A cord blood bank may be private (i.e. the blood is stored for and the costs paid by donor families) or public (i.e. stored and made available for use by unrelated donors). While public cord blood banking is widely supported, private cord banking is controversial in both the medical and parenting community. Although umbilical cord blood is well-recognized to be useful for treating hematopoietic and genetic disorders, some controversy surrounds the collection and storage of umbilical cord blood by private banks for the baby's use. Only a small percentage of babies (estimated at between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 200,000[7]) ever use the umbilical cord blood that is stored. The American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 Policy Statement on Cord Blood Banking states that:
"Physicians should be aware of the unsubstantiated claims of private cord blood banks made to future parents that promise to insure infants or family members against serious illnesses in the future by use of the stem cells contained in cord blood;"[7]
Cord blood is stored by both public and private cord blood banks. Public cord blood banks store cord blood for the benefit of the general public, and most U.S. banks coordinate matching cord blood to patients through the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Private cord blood banks are usually for-profit organizations that store cord blood for the exclusive use of the donor or donor's relatives.
Public cord blood banking is supported by the medical community. However, private cord blood banking is generally not recommended unless there is a family history of specific genetic diseases.
New parents have the option of storing their newborn's cord blood at a private cord blood bank or donating it to a public cord blood bank. The cost of private cord blood banking is approximately $2000 for collection and approximately $125 per year for storage, as of 2007. Donation to a public cord blood bank is not possible everywhere, but availability is increasing. Several local cord blood banks across the United States are now accepting donations from within their own states. The cord blood bank will not charge the donor for the donation; the OB/GYN may still charge a collection fee, although many OB/GYNs choose to donate their time.
After the first sibling-donor cord blood transplant was performed in 1988, the National Institute of Health (NIH) awarded a grant to Dr. Pablo Rubinstein to develop the world's first cord blood program at the New York Blood Center (NYBC),[8] in order to establish the inventory of non embryonal stem cell units necessary to provide unrelated, matched grafts for patients.
In 2005, University of Toronto researcher Peter Zandstra developed a method to increase the yield of cord blood stem cells to enable their use in treating adults as well as children.[9]
[SYNAPSE: R.E.I.T.] Real Estate Investment Trust: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1S1-9199805120903167.html
---
THE NEW NEW ECONOMY: http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_auto?currentPage=1
The offices of Transonic Combustion are not going to win any design prizes. Located in Camarillo, California, the company occupies a line of anonymous rooms and padlocked garage workshops at the edge of town, where land is cheap and prying eyes are scarce. Alloy-frame bicycles lean against the walls of the computer-stuffed workspaces; wastebaskets overflow with empty Mountain Dew cans. So many nondisclosure agreements have spewed from the printers on the tables that they must be capable of producing them without human intervention.
It looks, in other words, like any other high tech startup trying to make its mark in software, electronics, biotech, or energy. But Transonic isn't working in any of those fields. Instead, it is part of a surprising wavelet of innovation in an industry largely dismissed by venture capital: automobiles. The company makes a special breed of fuel injectors, which use advanced technology to force precisely timed, high-pressure bursts of gas-air mixture into engines to increase their power and efficiency. Tests are not complete yet, but Transonic believes that its products could help drivers get as much as 100 miles per gallon out of otherwise standard internal combustion engines. "If you double gas mileage, that ultimately cuts consumption by about half," Transonic president Brian Ahlborn says. "We're in business to make money, but we're aware of what that kind of dramatic drop could imply." He hopes that in the next few years Transonic fuel injectors will be in millions of vehicles, saving millions of gallons of gas a year.
Not long ago, Ahlborn's dream would have seemed quixotic. Detroit's Big Three automakers have for decades been notoriously hostile to outside innovation; Flash of Genius and Tucker, films that decry the industry's insularity, are both based on true stories. No small US company has grown into a big carmaker in the past 50 years—one of the reasons that the automobile itself hasn't changed more fundamentally during that time. "It's as if the computer industry were still dominated by Wang and Data General and DEC, and they were still selling minicomputers," says Henry Chesbrough, executive director at UC Berkeley's Center for Open Innovation.
Nonetheless, the automotive startup world is sputtering to life. Venture capitalists invested roughly $300 million in young car-related companies last year, up from $8 million in 2003. Dozens of startups are dipping a toe in the water, many in the high tech corridors near Boston and in Southern California (see this story's "Next Year's Module" sidebar). Some, like Transonic, focus on nitty-gritty hacks of machines that exist today. Others are assembling fanciful all-electric sports cars that may cost as much as a small house. But all of them are trying to jump-start the industry with new ideas, vigor, and technology.
Detroit desperately needs them. US automakers' share of the domestic market has plummeted nearly 30 percentage points since the early 1980s. The federal government has unceremoniously ousted the head of General Motors. By the time you read this, two of the Big Three may be in bankruptcy, a bleak capstone to years of collapsing stock prices, shrinking margins, and cascading layoffs. Some analysts believe not one of the major US carmakers will exist a decade from now. And while there are plenty of historical explanations for Detroit's sorry state—vicious labor relations, uncontrolled health care costs, neglected quality control—the most fundamental problem is also the hardest to overcome: The most innovative cars are no longer made in America.
If a domestic auto industry is to survive, it will have to incorporate and encourage breakthroughs from outsiders like Transonic. Automakers will need to transition from a vertical, proprietary, hierarchical model to an open, modular, collaborative one, becoming central nodes in an entrepreneurial ecosystem. In other words, the industry will need to undergo much the same wrenching transformation that the US computer business did some three decades ago, when the minicomputer gave way to the personal computer. Whereas minicomputers were restricted to using mainly software and hardware from their makers, PCs used interchangeable elements that could be designed, manufactured, and installed by third parties. Opening the gates to outsiders unleashed a flood of innovation that gave rise to firms like Microsoft, Dell, and Oracle. It destroyed many of the old computer giants—but guaranteed a generation of American leadership in a critical sector of the world economy. It is late in the day, but the same could still happen in the car industry; it just has to harness our national entrepreneurial spirit to develop the next wave of auto breakthroughs.
Transforming US auto manufacturing would be an enormous task. It would require the cooperation of the federal government to help create the conditions under which innovators can thrive—primarily by removing the energy and health care obstacles that now stand in their way. But now is the time to do it. The specter of global economic collapse has forced politicians, labor, and industry to abandon some of their most entrenched and dysfunctional ideas. Eventually, a reconfigured car industry could leapfrog Europe and Japan the way Toyota began to outpace Detroit 30 years ago. Indeed, such a radical reconfiguration may be the only way this vital industry can survive on these shores. "They're going to have to swing for the fences," says Steven Klepper, an economist at Carnegie Mellon University who studies industry innovation. "The only way I can see for them to win the game is to change it entirely."
I should declare a personal interest here. My father worked as a Big Three executive for much of my childhood, most of that time at Ford. He left to run his own marina, but he always remained loyal to Detroit. He never bought a foreign car. I didn't buy one until after his death, and even then I felt like I was thumbing my nose at his memory. I would like to return to a US product. More than that, I would like millions of Americans—people who don't share my sentimental ties—to come back to vehicles from US companies.
My father spent his days at the "Rouge," in Dearborn, outside Detroit. Once the biggest factory complex in the world, it had its own electricity plant, its own steel mill, even its own docks on the River Rouge that were big enough to handle deep-water vessels. Raw materials were unloaded on those docks, shuttled around the plant on 100 miles of internal railroad, and turned into finished vehicles, entirely inside the high factory walls. The Rouge made every major component for every model it produced except the tires—the company even tried to make the tires for a while, buying an Amazonian rubber plantation twice the size of Delaware in the 1920s.
Next Year's Module
In a new, modular car industry, the Big Three could plug into the legion of nimble component companies that are eager to develop and manufacture the next wave of automative breakthroughs. Here are five promising firms and the products that might help US carmakers regain the mantle of innovation.—C.C.M.
[1] A123Systems
Nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries that are optimized for electric vehicles. Chrysler and Norwegian electric-car maker Think both plan to use A123's products in future models. |
The Rouge was an embodiment of the vertical integration that has defined the US car industry since the days of Henry Ford. Initially, the complex was Ford's attempt to solve a manufacturing problem; in the days before networked communication, coordinating precisely with small suppliers was impossible, which meant he couldn't ensure that all the parts for his cars would be ready at the right time and in the proper condition. Ford's answer: total control. By trusting as little as possible to outside entities, he was able to guarantee that his factories got what they needed when they needed it.
But by the 1970s, this system's deficiencies—bureaucracy, groupthink, and inflexibility—were obvious. Toyota-style production, with its dramatically smaller parts inventories and workers who functioned in teams, was much more efficient. Japanese companies also enjoyed better relationships with labor, more-dedicated employees, and centralized purchasing that allowed them to take advantage of economies of scale. It took a long time—far too long—for the Big Three to adapt, but they finally did. Detroit began adopting lean production methods in the late 1980s, and by 2007 it had repaired its labor relations enough to win important benefit concessions. General Motors also centralized its fragmented organization to benefit from massive economies of scale. (The rest of Detroit is still several years behind GM in this regard, according to David Cole, chair of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor.)
The costs of these shifts were huge and painful—the once-proud Rouge was nearly shut down altogether—but almost everyone inside and outside of Detroit believes they were worth the hurt. When the transition is complete, lean production, labor concessions, and globalization will have shaved nearly $5,000 off the cost of every new vehicle from Detroit. Many consumers may still regard US carmakers as high-cost, low-quality manufacturers, but in truth they have largely caught up with—and in some cases surpassed—their Japanese competitors.
But even this extraordinary effort may well not be enough. Consider the 2010 Fusion hybrid, Ford's next-generation gas-electric, launched in March. Driven by a nickel-metal hydride battery that is smaller, lighter, and more powerful than the one in the previous model, the car has a novel electronic dashboard that uses visual cues to train drivers to maximize mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency rates the car at 41 mpg for city driving, though many reviewers report getting 50 mpg or more. Ford did focus far too long on its highly profitable pickup trucks and SUVs, and it was blindsided by the public interest in hybrids, which soared with the US arrival of the Toyota Prius in 2000. But now it has crashed through a top-of-the-line, technologically advanced product in record time. Sleekly styled and innovative, the Fusion "proves what I've been writing and saying for years," proclaimed Washington Post auto writer Warren Brown. "Detroit makes good cars."
Alas, so does the competition. One month after the Fusion came on the market, Honda launched a new version of the Insight, a five-passenger hybrid with almost the same fuel efficiency as a Fusion—and a base price of $19,800, about a quarter less than the Ford's $27,270 price tag. One month after that, Toyota introduced its third-generation Prius, rated by the EPA at 50 mpg—now the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the US market. A similar fate may well await GM's forthcoming plug-in electric car, the truly innovative Chevrolet Volt, which unlike typical hybrids uses its gas engine only to charge and extend the range of its heavy-duty battery, drastically cutting fuel consumption. The problem is that "the rest of the Volt is just an ordinary family sedan, for which they are charging more than $40,000," says Michael Cusumano, a professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management. "If they sell more than a few thousand, I'll be surprised." Meanwhile, according to current timetables, by the time the Volt goes on sale in late 2010, Toyota will have already released its own plug-in version of the fashionable Prius.
By seeking to match the likes of Toyota, Detroit has been trying to come from behind in a game where its adversaries set the rules. To Klepper, the Carnegie Mellon economist, the Big Three today resemble the American television-receiver industry in the 1970s and 1980s, pioneered by US corporations that, after decades of domination, were suddenly confronted by foreign innovation. Companies like RCA and Zenith were slow to incorporate new technologies until it was too late; all exited or sold out to foreign firms. "Every time American companies catch up to the competition," Klepper says, "the competition already has moved on and instituted new things. In that situation, it's extremely difficult to get ahead."
The only escape from this conundrum is to pursue what Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen has called disruptive innovation—the kind of change that alters the trajectory of an industry. As Christensen argued in his 1997 book, The Innovator's Dilemma, successful companies in mature industries rarely embrace disruptive innovation because, by definition, it threatens their business models. Loath to revamp factories at high cost to make products that will compete with their own goods, companies drag their feet; perversely, financial markets often reward them for their shortsightedness. Good as they are, the European and Japanese automakers are established companies. At this point, they are as unlikely to pursue disruptive innovation as Detroit has been. That gives the US auto industry an opening. To take that opportunity, it will have to behave differently—it will have to step far outside the walls of the Rouge.
Most modern automobiles have a long, serpentine belt that winds intricately through the engine compartment. Driven by the engine, it powers the accessory system: the alternator, water pump, AC compressor, and a handful of other components. During city driving, the engine turns slowly, which spins the belt slowly, which in turn pumps the compressor slowly. Running at low efficiency, the air conditioner must be enormously powerful to keep the car cool—so powerful that car and truck air conditioners account for about 5 percent of annual US motor fuel consumption. Similar problems plague alternators, which provide little charge to the battery during the start and stop of most driving.
Fallbrook Technologies, a San Diego startup, has raised $50 million to solve this problem. It hopes to squeeze more power from the serpentine belt by building simple, cheap transmission components that will power the accessory system more efficiently. Unlike standard transmissions, which move from gear to gear in distinct steps, transmissions using Fallbrook's technology move along a smooth continuum, allowing it to function more effectively at low speeds and to drive accessories at a constant velocity, no matter how fast the engine is turning. Typically, automobile transmission systems have hundreds of parts, many of which must be manufactured to high precision. Fallbrook's has fewer than 50, of which the most critical is a set of stainless-steel ball bearings—"the cheapest precision-machined product in the world," says Fallbrook CEO William Klehm, a former Ford executive. Preliminary tests on military vehicles show that Fallbrook's tech can make alternators produce 75 percent more power at idling speed. Although the transmissions would have the most impact on tomorrow's electric cars, Klehm says they can be used almost immediately to benefit gas engines, too.
When Klehm was working for Ford, a small outfit like Fallbrook would have had little chance of engaging the industry. "There was a big NIH problem," he says. "If something was 'not invented here,' we didn't want it." Detroit has long worked with outside suppliers, but the relationship has typically been one-way and often hostile; car companies specify exactly what services they need and how much they'll pay for them. Since the 1990s, the Big Three have forced suppliers' prices down so much that many are edging toward bankruptcy. At the same time, the industry has tried to loosen up, outsourcing production to independent firms. However, these efforts have done little to change the underlying dynamic, in which the automakers exert an enormous amount of control over a handful of giant suppliers. None of the big manufacturers have regularly allowed Silicon Valley-style innovators like Transonic and Fallbrook into the core of their products.
Even inside the companies themselves, the industry draws on a narrow well of innovation. Detroit does work with the University of Michigan, an excellent school. But the Big Three pull in few employees from other top colleges. "Our students have basically not been joining GM, Ford, or Chrysler for 20 years," MIT's Cusumano says. "They go to companies like Intel, Cisco, and Hewlett-Packard." One consequence, he says, is that when young engineers and designers launch their own firms, the last sector they think of is the auto industry. "It's seen as a place that isn't interested in new ways of doing things."
In its insularity, the auto industry is increasingly an outlier. A growing number of firms have adopted what UC Berkeley's Chesbrough dubbed "open innovation"—accelerating change by letting ideas flow much more freely in and out of companies. Rather than depending primarily on their own engineers, he says, auto companies should leverage the insights of others, outsourcing much or most R&D to an ecosystem of small, agile entities outside the factory walls. Unsurprisingly, open innovation is seen most clearly in firms like IBM, Alcatel-Lucent, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, but Chesbrough argues that it has been picked up with success by companies in fields ranging from chemicals and packaged goods to lubricants and home-improvement gadgets. "The auto industry is different," he says. "It hasn't learned that no one company or industry has a monopoly on useful ideas."
Nobody can say which companies will come up with the inventions that revive the auto industry—Transonic, Fallbrook, any of the other startups, or some company yet to be created. A few years ago, a 1978 photo of Microsoft's founders—a disheveled bunch of geeks—made the email rounds under the subject line "Would you have invested?" No single company could have foreseen or designed the modern computer industry, just as the Big Three cannot predict the eventual shape of the US auto industry. But they can build the ecosystem that allows it to develop.
How does a traditionally top-down manufacturer become an open-ended promoter of innovation? Clues can be found in "Managing in an Age of Modularity," a classic 1997 Harvard Business Review paper by economists Carliss Baldwin and Kim Clark. They studied how personal-computer manufacturers divided their products into subsystems, establishing standards that allow parts to be readily swapped out and replaced. By giving outside innovators the freedom to tinker with individual modules—hardware, operating systems, software, peripherals—PC makers spurred the development of far more sophisticated devices and allowed customers to individualize and customize their purchases. In other words, modularity encouraged multiple innovations from multiple sources and made them easy to incorporate.
Traditionally, the Big Three design most of their car components in-house. These Jeep doors are ready for the assembly line in Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.
Photo: Floto + Warner
Photo: Floto + Warner
The analogy between cars and computers can't be taken too far. Because automobile design and manufacturing flaws can kill people, the industry is properly governed by strict regulations—and subject to continual product-liability litigation. As a result, automakers will never be able to release a set of standards, then snap together a working automobile out of whatever components entrepreneurs happen to come up with. But they can use this model to rethink how they approach innovation and manufacturing.
Indeed, a precursor already exists. In 2000, GM inaugurated a new complex in southern Brazil. Rather than following the still-dominant Rouge model, the Gravataí factory consisted of 17 separate plants, 16 of which were occupied by suppliers, including Delphi, Goodyear, and Lear. Unlike elsewhere in the auto world, the Gravataí suppliers didn't just carry out GM's blueprints but took an active role in designing their subunits: fuel lines, rear axle, exhaust and cooling systems. Suppliers delivered preassembled modules to GM workers, who plugged in the pieces to make cars much more quickly than plants in the rest of the world.
Despite its achievements, the Gravataí model has largely been ignored. It should have been extended. Instead of limiting the number of suppliers, companies could encourage startups to join the supplier network, working to meet industry specifications while bringing their own ideas and innovations to the table. As in Gravataí, the car company would act largely as a coordinator and assembler, piecing together interchangeable units to create a complete vehicle.
The growing dependence of cars on computers will accelerate this process. The typical 2009 car includes about 200 electronic sensors and some 40 networks, monitoring everything from temperature to tire pressure. Outside firms are already largely responsible for the electronic equipment that reduces emissions by controlling the mixture of fuel and air combusted by the engine; they also largely developed electronic stability control, the network of actuators and controllers in the suspension that helps prevent skids. One can readily imagine garage entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley—or platoons of data-crunchers at Google—building software-driven devices that make cars run more cleanly, efficiently, and safely. Scott McCormick, president of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association, foresees a future in which networked cars constantly communicate with one another and the road, helping drivers avoid traffic jams and accidents. Plenty of tech companies would be happy to take part in accomplishing that vision.
By outsourcing most R&D, car companies would be able to reap the rewards of innovation for a fraction of the cost and risk. The growing sophistication of design and simulation software makes it easier for startups to create prototypes and test new products virtually, before undergoing those expensive processes in the real world. Not every idea will succeed, but the costs of failure will be reduced and borne by smaller firms that can collapse with less impact on the larger economy. Ultimately, modular construction will lead to cars that can be custom-built to the specifications of their future owners, somewhat as Dell allows purchasers to click on hyperlinks to add or subtract computer features. Custom-rebuilt, too—it will be easy to install upgraded modules, in much the way that computer owners replace old video cards.
Of course, there are dangers for the automakers. When US computer giants adopted more-open, modular designs in the 1980s, they set off an explosion of technological advances. But they also reduced their own relevance. Famously, IBM was overwhelmed by the entrepreneurs and developers it had enabled; to save itself from bankruptcy, the company successfully shifted its focus from physical products to software and services. Wang and DEC no longer exist as stand-alone companies. More globally, the balance of power in the industry has moved away from manufacturers and toward the module designers—the chipmakers and software jockeys whose innovations move the industry forward.
American carmakers could follow a similar course. By shifting away from vertical integration, they will inherently play a smaller role in the overall industry. As system architects, they would lay down the framework in which independent developers work, communicating and enforcing those standards with would-be suppliers. They would also be the marketers and sales force—nobody knows how to advertise like Detroit.
This will not come easy. But in seeking a model for outsourcing in a heavily regulated industry, automakers might look to pharmaceutical companies, which also operate under severe regulatory, legal, and safety constraints. Manufacturing is simpler for drug companies, but the process of testing new products with clinical trials is nightmarishly complex and costly. Yet this has not prevented drug firms from relying on outsiders; they routinely buy startups and test out their technology. Many or most of the acquisitions prove unusable, but the successes pay for failures. Managing and using outside innovation is difficult, but it has helped keep the US drug industry alive in a climate of unforgiving competition.
It is an open question whether the Big Three will be able to participate in the new auto industry. But they can't expect to maintain their positions as gatekeepers. They are too weak, and there is simply too much activity, too much interest, and too much money in play. Although that may be bad news for the companies, it may not be bad for their customers and—in the long run—their employees and the nation itself, which will eventually benefit from a revitalized industry. What is good for the country may no longer be good for General Motors.
The biggest obstacle faced by Transonic Combustion is just down the street from its offices: a gas station. When I pulled in for a fill-up, the average price per gallon was about $1.90—so low that Americans were again buying gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks. It is difficult to imagine the typical US driver paying more for Transonic's hyperefficient fuel injectors when a fill-up costs less than a pizza. Nor will there be much enthusiasm for cleaner, safer vehicles in a nation that has few penalties for carbon emissions and where performance standards have remained effectively unchanged for decades.
In other words, the US automotive industry will not introduce innovative cars unless there is a market to support them. And sustaining that market is next to impossible when oil prices can double or drop by half within six months, argues Bernard Swiecki, an analyst at the Center for Automotive Research. That's why he and other economists argue that higher gas taxes are necessary. As the events of last summer prove, the best way to get Americans to buy more-efficient vehicles is to sell gas at $4 a gallon. A tax that sets a floor for fuel prices would be politically unpopular, but its bitter taste could be offset by cuts in the payroll tax—and by making it part of the broader energy package.
Even with all of these initiatives, a good outcome for the US auto industry is far from guaranteed. Detroit is in an extraordinarily difficult position. But a long shot is better than none at all. Asked if he could think of any industry that had recovered from the position in which Detroit now finds itself, David Cole, chair of the Center for Automotive Research, answered—unhappily, to my ear—with a simple "no." Then he said, "That doesn't mean it can't happen, though. There's room for bold action. I just hope they're allowed to take it."
AUTHOR: CharlesMann.org
--
Filename: CINDERFELLA'S VALMET AUTOMOTIVE
Details: The Rise of the Poorgeoisie
PIKE'S PEAK RALLY:
When Audi puts big money into a fanciful show-car concept, then flaunts it around the auto-show circuit, you can usually bet there will be a production version of that car in Audi dealerships before too long.
It wasn't always like that. Audi learned a hard lesson with its pretty Quattro Spyder show car of a dozen years ago. When popular clamor for a production version sent Audi engineers and accountants back to their calculators, the numbers failed to make a viable business case. Hence the Audi TT concept that followed. It was based on an available platform so it could be put into production if public demand warranted it.
With that history lesson learned, we know the Audi Pikes Peak Quattro—named for the Colorado hill-climb won three times by Audi-mounted drivers, and introduced at the 2003 Detroit auto show—will almost certainly make it into production. And why not? Audi is intimately associated with Volkswagen, and since VW cooperated with Porsche on the joint Touareg/Cayenne project, Audi has access to platform technology and components that provide the necessary development know-how and economies of scale.
Nonetheless, the concept car was executed in a remarkably short five months once the clay design was frozen. Audi engineers joke that it could have been shorter, but company chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder insisted on a running change as late as October 2002. He wanted the shutlines between the hood and headlights to angle upward to maintain the rakish contours, and we think he was right.
The use of Touareg front and rear axle systems comes as no surprise, along with some of that vehicle's floorpan. And the Pikes Peak Quattro's air-suspension technology was adapted from both the Touareg and Audi's 2004 A8. It uses a four-level-adjustable air-spring and adaptive-shock system nicely suited to the needs of an SUV. Depending on the position selected, the Pikes Peak has ground clearance anywhere from 7 to 11 inches—handy for traversing rough country.
The suspension is controlled by a version of Audi's MMI (multimedia interface) system, redesigned in the Pikes Peak Quattro to suit the car's stylish interior. Motivating the four big wheels under the Pikes Peak is the RS 6's 4.2-liter V-8 with twin turbochargers and FSI, a direct-gasoline-injection system—technology put to the test in Audi's Le Mans-winning R8 race cars and now performing civilian duty in engines in Europe powering A2 and A4 models.
Although the carbon-fiber-bodied show car (that material would account for its low weight) was kept to a top speed of 30 mph during our brief ride, the sounds issuing from the dual bumper-integrated twin tailpipes promised a great deal more than that with their 493-hp baritone. Audi's project chief for the Pikes Peak Quattro, Josef Maier, says the engine produces 465 pound-feet of torque from 2000 rpm. Sounds like enough.
All this irresistible urge is fed to the four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle-operated Tiptronic manual override and a center Torsen differential. Brake-activated "electronic differential locks" on both axles take care of any further traction concerns. Each of the five-spoke composite-alloy wheels mounts giant 295/770-R560 run-flat Goodyears on special PAX System rims. The all-metric designation indicates a rim size of about 21 inches, and the PAX System allows the vehicle to be driven with a flat for up to 120 miles at speeds up to 50 mph.
PAX TELEVISION: EWTN.COM
MICHELIN PAX: Run Flat Tyres
Inside the Pikes Peak Quattro: http://www.caranddriver.com/news/car/03q2/audi_pikes_peak_quattro-car_news/gallery/audi_pikes_peak_quattro_concept_photo_13 we find a bunch of thoughtful gadgets. Cameras abound. One is mounted at the top of the windshield, and it monitors the edges of the road and warns the driver should he stray off the desired path. Cameras also inform the airbag control system if occupants move out of position, to vary airbag deployment strategies to prevent injury. And there is a camera focused on the right front wheel to help the driver avoid running over curbs and smaller cars.
Not all of these will make it into production, but the trick three-row seating probably will. Audi calls it four-plus-two, for two rows with generous space for four adults, and one with, shall we say, less space. On the concept car, the two rear rows are electrically powered and can be moved for ease of access or even folded flat for optimal luggage space with all motions controlled from a panel in the rear cargo area.
A DVD-based entertainment center keeps occupants in the center and rear rows quiet with movies, music, and even Internet access during trips. Or you could just gaze out through the vast glass roof. But judging from the creaks emanating from the carbon-fiber panels, we'd guess the all-glass top will be replaced with a conventional steel roof. There might be a large sunroof or two, but a production glass roof would undoubtedly run afoul of roof crush tests, not to mention you'd need to include photochromic protection from glare and heat gain.
But it's nice that Audi stretched the envelope with the Pikes Peak Quattro, and nicer yet that it has cranked up the sport part of SUV. We guess with a name like Pikes Peak, it just had to.
--
British engineer and designer Sir Alec Issigonis created the tiny 37-hp Mini in 1959 for the Austin and Morris marques, but it was left to John Cooper to make it a truly entertaining device for drivers. Thus, it seems fitting that Cooper's son—John Michael Cooper, who goes by Mike—was handed the job of enhancing the driver-entertainment index of the latter-day Mini.
The key to Mike Cooper's upgrade is more power, just as it was with John Cooper's Mini back in 1961 (from 33 to an ungodly 65 horsepower).
None of this is surprising. Mike Cooper was soaked in speed throughout his youth, in a household frequented by guys like Bruce McLaren, Denis Hulme, Sir Jack Brabham, and Stirling Moss, to name just a few. John Cooper's shops in East Preston, Sussex, England, have been busy ever since creating tuner Minis. (British Motor Corporation ceased production of the original Mini Cooper and Cooper S in 1971, leaving John Cooper to keep it going as a cottage industry.)
So when BMW was developing its product-cycle plans for the Mini revival in 1998, paying a one-time royalty for the Cooper name and then enlisting John Cooper for the eventual performance upgrade made more sense than turning to longtime tuning partner Alpina. Aside from name recognition, it's likely that geography tipped the balance. Alpina is based outside Munich—not exactly consistent with BMW's desire to trade on the Mini's British roots.
John Cooper Works (JCW) offered its first upgrade kit in late 2001, bumping output of the naturally aspirated version of the Mini Cooper from 115 to 132 horsepower. We won't see that package in North America, but we will see the latest version, developed for the supercharged Mini Cooper S. The kits are currently available through 71 Mini dealers in the U.S. and Canada.
Like the kit for the naturally aspirated car, the one for the supercharged S model is designed to enhance engine output only—no suspension or brake upgrades. It's a straight bolt-on, entailing a reprogrammed engine-control chip, a revised cylinder head, a new supercharger, a smaller supercharger drive pulley, and an upgraded exhaust system designed to reduce back pressure.
The bulk of the development time on the S program was devoted to machine work on the cylinder head, aimed at improving intake and exhaust flow. No changes were made to the valvetrain, compression ratio, or crankshaft. The vanes of the new Eaton supercharger are coated with a ceramic compound that provides better sealing, and maximum boost has been bumped from 11.6 to 14.0 psi. Although the system generates more heat than the stock setup, JCW and BMW are confident the Mini's intercoolers and cooling system can handle it without a problem. Similarly, the development team feels the stock clutch and six-speed manual gearbox can deal with the extra thrust.
There's a fair amount of that. The standard Cooper S twirls up 163 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque from its 1.6-liter twin-cam 16-valve four. The JCW version generates 200 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Mike Cooper says they could have mined more from the iron-block, aluminum-head Pentagon engine, but "we stopped at 200 for reliability," not to mention making BMW's warranty people happy, since the JCW kit is covered by the same 48-month/50,000-mile program as any other Mini. This goes for retrofits as well as new cars.
Adding horsepower and torque makes for a quicker Mini. An unofficial estimate by a Mini spokesman forecast a 0-to-60 time of about 6.3 seconds, in contrast to the 7.0-second run we posted in our first Cooper S test (July 2002). Judging by a short day of driving around the southern coast of England, we feel this estimate may be a bit optimistic. The new supercharger seems to spool up a little quicker than the one in the standard S version, and it also seems to provide much better midrange response, reducing the drama of passing maneuvers.
There doesn't seem to be any dynamic downside to the kit. At about 2800 pounds, the Works Cooper S is chunky enough to damp out any hint of torque steer, and the standard brake system feels capable of keeping up with the increased pace. About the only negative is a slightly higher level of supercharger whine, not bad for short stints, but undoubtedly tedious over a long haul.
The big question, though, is whether the additional punch is worth the money. Mini's marketing minions hadn't finalized pricing as we went to press but were willing to estimate the U.S. price for the kit at about $5000, a figure that includes the nine-hour installation process, to be handled either at the port of entry or through a dealer.
That figures to about $135 per horsepower, and it also makes for a pretty pricey Mini. Adding the JCW kit to a Cooper S propels you right up against the 25-grand frontier, without adding extras such as leather, a sunroof, 17-inch wheels, or xenon headlamps. Should we choose to bolt the kit to the Cooper S that's just joined our long-term test fleet, we'd be looking at a $28,815 Mini, and that's the threshold of Mazda RX-8 and Nissan 350Z territory.
From that perspective, you have to ask yourself, "Do I really need this?" And then you have to provide the answer.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 3-door coupe
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $25,000
ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled SOHC 16-valve 4-in-line, iron block and aluminum head, Siemens EMS 2000 engine-control system with port fuel injection
Displacement: 98 cu in, 1598cc
Power (SAE net): 200 bhp @ 6950 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 177 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Displacement: 98 cu in, 1598cc
Power (SAE net): 200 bhp @ 6950 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 177 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 97.1 in Length: 143.9 in Width: 66.5 in Height: 55.8 in
Curb weight: 2800 lb
Wheelbase: 97.1 in Length: 143.9 in Width: 66.5 in Height: 55.8 in
Curb weight: 2800 lb
C/D ESTIMATED PERFORMANCE:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 19.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.1 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 135 mph
Zero to 60 mph: 6.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 19.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.1 sec
Top speed (drag limited): 135 mph
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 24 mpg
EPA highway driving: 33 mpg
![Porsche Carrera GT Concept]()
EPA city driving: 24 mpg
EPA highway driving: 33 mpg
Almost three years ago, Porsche stunned members of the media at the Paris auto show by unveiling the Carrera GT, a mid-engined supercar in the Ferrari Enzo vein that was more exotic than any roadgoing car the company had ever created.
It was based on a Le Mans race car that Porsche had designed and decided not to campaign. At Paris, Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking announced his eagerness to put the Carrera GT into production, but only if there were enough interest to sell the 1000 units needed to justify the investment.
Despite the world economic downturn since 2000, interest in the Carrera GT has been red-hot among the remaining well-heeled, so Porsche announced at the 2002 Detroit show that it was going to build the Carrera GT. And at the Geneva show this past March, the company revealed the production version of the car.
The GT will be built at the Leipzig factory, where the Cayenne SUV is assembled. Deliveries will begin this fall, and the entire run of no more than 1500 cars should be completed by the end of 2004. The base price is about $410,000. What follows is all the information we have been able to glean about the Carrera GT to this point. If you like what you read, get your order in early, because we suspect Porsche will have little trouble moving these machines.
Interior Styling
In the cockpit, the production car faithfully embodies the main themes of the concept. The biggest change is the substitution of a conventional 911-like five-instrument cluster for the multifunctional liquid-crystal display used in the concept car. "We simply couldn't find a supplier who could deliver an electronic display that met our size and functional requirements," said styling boss Harm Lagaay. Otherwise, the theme of leather and aluminum remains, along with the unusual rising console with its high-mounted shifter.
If there's a bit less aluminum trim than is found in the concept, we can't say we miss it. We certainly don't mind the glossy exposed carbon fiber in place of the aluminum doorsill plates on the concept.
The removable top has two carbon-fiber panels that weigh about five pounds apiece. They are attached with quick-release latches and are stored in the front compartment. Even the seats are made from carbon fiber, each weighing 24 pounds.
Standard equipment includes a custom-fitted five-piece luggage set, an elaborate sound system, and front and side airbags. Air conditioning is optional.
Structure
True to modern race-car practice, the Carrera GT's structure uses a carbon-fiber tub that is lightweight and rigid. The central tub and the front structure are one large unitized molded assembly. A separate rear structure, ![]()
with three large elements on each side, supports the powertrain and rear suspension. It bolts to the back of the main tub.
Since the removable roof sections provide no rigidity, the tub has two deep side sills—at least 10 inches high—as well as the rising central console, adding stiffness and strength. To preserve these expensive carbon-fiber components from minor crash damage, crushable bolt-on tubular extensions—fabricated from H400 high-strength steel—protect each end of the car. The bodywork covering this structure is also fabricated from carbon fiber.
Although the GT concept was said to weigh 2756 pounds, the production car has risen to about 3050 pounds. That's still impressively light but not quite as feathery as the million-dollar McLaren F1 (it's less than 2600 pounds), reflecting the Carrera's larger volume and lower cost.
Suspension
Unequal-length control arms are used in the suspension at both ends of the car. These arms are all forged aluminum, except for the large lower arms in the rear, which are constructed from high-strength steel. Additional toe-control links keep the rear wheels pointing in the intended direction, and a power-assisted rack-and-pinion mechanism controls the front wheels.
In the fashion of modern race cars, the suspension motions are controlled by coil-over gas-pressurized shocks mounted horizontally on the structure via pushrods and rockers. This approach not only reduces unsprung weight but also produces an essentially equal relationship between the movement of the wheels and the compression and extension of the suspension. This results in better control, even during the smallest wheel motions. This remote linkage also couples the suspension to the front and rear anti-roll bars. To avoid even the slightest lost motion, all the links and pivots use racing-style spherical joints, with elaborate seals to protect them from real-world contaminants.
Engine
Although the Carrera GT engine's displacement of 5733cc is identical to that of the original 350-cubic-inch Chevy V-8, the Porsche V-10 sports all the modern high-performance details: aluminum block with Nikasil cylinder bores, four valves per cylinder with bucket tappets, chain-driven double overhead camshafts, titanium connecting rods, dry-sump lubrication, and a big-bore intake system with fuel injection. Add that up, and you have 604 horsepower, 435 pound-feet of torque, and an 8400-rpm redline.
At 472 pounds, the V-10 engine is reasonably light and, with a 68-degree bank angle, also fairly narrow, to provide plenty of room for underbody defusers. Not enormously oversquare - the bore and stroke are 98 and 76 millimeters - the engine is fully equipped for street use with variable intake-cam timing as well as four catalysts and four oxygen sensors, meeting all worldwide emissions requirements through 2005.
Transaxle
To promote a low center of gravity, the Carrera GT employs a purpose-built transaxle incorporating a transverse gearbox. The six-speed transmission sits behind and below the differential, which bolts to the rear of the engine. Power is transmitted to this gearbox via a novel twin-plate ceramic clutch. Only 6.7 inches in diameter, this clutch is extremely light, reducing the engine's rotational inertia and promising a long service life.
Braking
n keeping with its speed potential, the Carrera GT has the largest brakes we've ever seen on a street car. All four corners are equipped with 15.0-inch-diameter, 1.3-inch-thick composite cross-drilled ceramic brake rotors gripped by one-piece aluminum calipers with six pistons. The ceramic discs are about half the weight of conventional iron brake rotors. Coupled with four-channel anti-lock control, we expect the Carrera GT to challenge any and all existing stopping-distance records.
Wheels and Tires
The Carrera GT is shod with meaty tires mounted on huge wheels: in front, 9.5-by-19-inch wheels with 265/35ZR-19 tires; and in the rear, 12.5-by-20-inchers with 335/30ZR-20 tires. The wheels are fabricated from forged magnesium and weigh about three-quarters as much as aluminum wheels. In true racing style, each wheel is attached to its hub with a large central nut.
Aerodynamics
With a drag coefficient of 0.39, the Carrera GT is not destined to set any top-speed records. Stability-enhancing downforce was a higher priority than low air resistance. In addition to the rear wing, which rises about six inches to a more effective position at high speeds, the Carrera GT generates further downforce from its underbody design. At its top speed of 205 mph, total downforce is said to be 640 pounds, 70 percent of which is on the rear axle to maximize straight-line stability.
Performance
Porsche claims a 0-to-62-mph acceleration time of 3.9 seconds for the Carrera GT, but we think the company is being modest. After all, Porsche claimed 4.1 seconds for the GT2, and we measured a 0-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds for that car. Expect the Carrera GT to get to 60 in about 3.5 seconds and to scorch the quarter-mile in the high 10s at more than 130 mph.
Exterior Styling
To say that styling boss Harm Lagaay is delighted with the Carrera GT would be an understatement. "We transferred this car into production with hardly any changes from the original concept," he told us. "We even retained the negligee covering the engine." Without comparing photos of the concept and production cars side by side, you wouldn't think there were any differences at all.
From the outside, a keen observer will notice that the production version has lost the auxiliary lights in the concept's front fascia as well as its protruding front spoiler lip. The door handles have been tucked away in the upper hollows of the side air intakes, the twin roll hoops are a little taller, and the mirrors are reshaped slightly. The dimensions are essentially unchanged, although its length has grown by 2.2 inches and overall height is lowered by an inch.
VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $410,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 40-valve V-10, aluminum block and heads, 2 Bosch Motronic ME7.1.1 engine- control systems with port fuel injection
Displacement: 350 cu in, 5733cc
Power (SAE net): 604 bhp @ 8000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 435 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
Displacement: 350 cu in, 5733cc
Power (SAE net): 604 bhp @ 8000 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 435 lb-ft @ 5750 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.5 in Length: 181.6 in Width: 75.6 in Height: 45.9 in
Curb weight: 3050 lb
Wheelbase: 107.5 in Length: 181.6 in Width: 75.6 in Height: 45.9 in
Curb weight: 3050 lb
C/D ESTIMATED PERFORMANCE:
Zero to 60 mph: 3.5 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 10.9 sec @ 131 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 205 mph
![]()
Zero to 60 mph: 3.5 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 10.9 sec @ 131 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 205 mph
KARMA CHAMELEON: http://www.autocult.com.au/Image.aspx?id=352
September 28, 2000
Audi presents its "Steppenwolf" project
Text from the Audi AG Press Release
The all-rounder
Premiere in Paris: at the Mondial de l'Automobil 2000 (28 September to 15 October ) Audi will be presenting a study for on-road and demanding off-road use. Following the successful launch of the Audi allroad quattro, this concept vehicle now shows how the Audi development engineers visualise a high-performance all-rounder for the compact class. And it embodies a study which represents the consistent evolution of contemporary Audi design.
But that's not all: the "Steppenwolf" project - as this three-door four-seater is known - also provides evidence of the kind of "Vorsprung durch Technik" which has long since become synonymous with the name Audi.
This study for the compact class also makes use of Audi's quattro expertise and experience with the height-adjustable air suspension. The engineers had set themselves the following goal: the "Steppenwolf" project should be able to master rough terrain in extreme conditions just as effortlessly as high-speed driving. It should feel equally at home in the outback as on the motorway.
Engine
A free-revving 3.2-litre V6 engine developing 165 kW (225 bhp) accelerates the "Steppenwolf" from 0 to 100 km/h in under eight seconds. Its top speed is well over 230 km/h. Its peak torque of 320 Nm is available across a wide speed range. The manual six-speed gearbox turns this strength into a guarantee of excellent pulling power in every speed range.
The quattro permanent four-wheel drive system ensures maximum traction and excellent directional stability in all conditions and in all types of terrain. The electronically controlled Haldex centre differential distributes power between the front and rear wheels. If the front wheels slip, part of the torque is put to the road smoothly via the rear wheels as required.
In addition, the Electronic Differential Lock EDL distributes torque between the wheels on one axle. And the Electronic Stability Program ESP helps the driver to remain in control if confronted with potentially critical driving situations at the limit.
Running gear
With its precise rack-and-pinion steering, the "Steppenwolf" can be guided across rough terrain as accurately as it can through fast double bends on the ideal line.
The Brembo brake system is clearly visible in the wheels: large, perforated discs and the characteristic red lettering on the callipers with eight pistons point to the system's excellent efficiency.
Audi development engineers have come up with an innovative solution for the parking brake, which acts on the rear brake discs. An electronically controlled electrohydraulic system performs the function of the conventional, manually activated handbrake. This enables the lines to the rear brake callipers to be activated via hydraulic valves in such a way that the hydraulic circuit of the foot-operated brake is decoupled.
When the driver presses the button for the parking brake in the cockpit, an 80 bar hydraulic pump takes command of the rear brake callipers. A non-return valve blocks the return flow, the rear brakes lock. If the driver presses the control button again, the rear brakes and the foot-operated brake are connected again.
To prevent operating errors, the control electronics only allow the parking brake to be activated and deactivated when the ignition is on and the vehicle stationary.
The front axle of this four-wheel-drive vehicle has McPherson strut suspension with forged wishbone, cast steel swivel bearings and specially matched axle geometry. The anti-roll bar is connected directly to the suspension strut. The rear suspension uses a longitudinal double-wishbone axle - an extremely space-saving construction which is partially responsible for the particular space efficiency of the "Steppenwolf".
A special feature on the "Steppenwolf" is its 4-level air suspension which sets it apart from all potential competitors. This groundbreaking system was first presented and introduced in series production on the allroad quattro. Now this technology can be found for the first time on a compact vehicle, qualifying it as an all-rounder in a class of its own
The air suspension at front and rear permits a variable ground clearance across a range of 60 millimetres in total. The running gear of the "Steppenwolf" is thus able to produce an extremely low centre of gravity and optimum aerodynamics on asphalt just as effectively as ample ground clearance on rough terrain.
Compared with an A3, for example, the "Steppenwolf" offers 102 millimetres more ground clearance in the highest position - which is 223 millimetres off the ground - and an additional 42 millimetres in the lowest position.
As on the allroad quattro, the "Steppenwolf" has two control strategies for the air suspension, an automatic and a manual mode. Automatic control is dependent on the vehicle's speed. At speeds of 80 and 130 km/h the system lowers the body in two 20 millimetre stages from the normal to the low level. Correspondingly the body is raised again to the normal level when speed is reduced.
By contrast the high level - 20 millimetres above the normal level - has to be selected manually. Once again, however, the vehicle leaves this position automatically if the speedometer indicates more than 35 km/h. All other high levels can also be selected manually at the control panel in the cockpit. Provided no safety-critical speeds are exceeded, the "Steppenwolf" remains at the level selected.
The 4-level air suspension not only ensures the appropriate degree of ground clearance, it also has the effect of a load-compensating ride height control system. The level selected is maintained at all times, regardless of the load the vehicle is carrying or even if it is towing a trailer.
The air suspension of the "Steppenwolf" has another advantage - a talent for which the Audi allroad quattro's system has already been praised on numerous occasions: it offers what is, not only for off-road vehicles, a unique synthesis of ride comfort on the roughest surfaces together with minimum body movement when cornering at high speed. An excellent basis for ample driving pleasure.
HYPSOMETRIC MAP: The Nose and Face_Topography
Exterior design
Audi development engineers decided on the floor pan with transversally installed front engine as the technical basis for this new model, the same platform used on the Audi A3 and Audi TT. Its length of 4.21 metres and its status as a fully fledged four-seater consequently also reveal the "Steppenwolf" as a representative of the compact class - despite the fact that the visibly wider track and crouched aggressiveness of the body, which is 1.83 metres wide and 1.46 metres high, speak a totally different language.
The strikingly flared wheel arches and powerfully dimensioned side sills, the high waistline and the flat curve of the roof sculpt the car's powerful stature. The contrast between the dark roof and sand-coloured body accentuate this dynamic yet elegantly stretched silhouette still further.
The "Steppenwolf" makes no secret of its fondness for adventure away from the beaten track. Powerfully contoured bumpers, painted dark grey to contrast with the body colour, demonstrate its off-road destiny just as clearly as the spotlights in the door mirrors. The enormous 19-inch six-star wheels with reinforced transitions between wheel spider and rim are a visual indication of extreme robustness and functionality.
The tread pattern of the specially developed 225/50R19 tyres also reflects the versatility of the "Steppenwolf": a tread that is equally well-suited to off-road and on-road driving.
The "Steppenwolf" can be fitted with either a carbon-fibre hardtop or a detachable soft top. And it can be driven with the top down: all occupants can then enjoy maximum headroom between the windscreen and tail end. The stable frame is only retained between the C-posts, above the tailgate, in order to sustain the body's high torsional rigidity off-road too.
The soft top for the "Steppenwolf" is made of sealed textile fabric and, as on many off-road cars, is fitted by hand. The driver just has to attach two posts above the side windows and snap on the soft top.
The design of the "Steppenwolf" is completely new, but every line, every detail shows it to be a member of the Audi model family. The flat radiator grille with the four rings, the sporty, slim silhouette and the high waistline together with the narrow roof area have become almost traditional identifying features of the brand. And the striking wheel arches immediately call to mind the TT, currently the most typical representative of the Audi line.
The Audi designers have succeeded in interpreting familiar lines in a new and unusual way, without departing from the Audi design language. Unusual solutions such as the design of the front indicators are harmoniously integrated into the light unit.
Surprising solutions can also be found under the bonnet, where the Audi designers' striving for form has once again set clearly visible standards. The six intake pipes of the transverse six-cylinder engine are in brushed metal with a matt finish: a clear, visual indication of this power unit's potential.
A "service bridge" located laterally in front of the engine contains all the important openings for topping up oil, coolant and washer fluid, side by side. This engine design combines the design of a classic racing-car inner life and an Audi engine compartment of the future.
Another special feature can be found at the back of the Audi design study: a drawer under the luggage compartment edge houses the spare wheel. However, if necessary this moving compartment can also be used with a second insert - in this case the "Steppenwolf" would then carry the Tire Mobility System repair kit with 12-volt compressor and tyre sealing compound instead of the spare wheel.
The alternative drawer insert provides space for the optional winch which is engaged with an adapter and can be activated underneath the radiator grille. There is also room in the rear drawer for two running boards which can be attached below the side doors: these provide a useful climbing aid which can be used, for example, to secure luggage to the roof when the air suspension is raised.
Anyone taking a step back will recognise the characteristics of the new Audi design in the overall form of the body: wide, clearly contoured lines and large, pure surfaces combine to produce an architecture in which calm and tension are equally present. No superfluous swage lines or curves upset this visual clarity. Function and form become one.
Interior
The impression conveyed by the interior is also dominated by clear functionality and extreme robustness. All important information is easily legible on large, round analogue instruments with white dials and red needles on a dark background. Predominantly smooth surfaces and the metallic surrounds on displays and control elements convey the same tidy atmosphere of a cockpit. But sobriety is not the only dominant feature: the generous use of "shoe sole leather" on the instrument panel creates an elegant yet pragmatic ambience.
There are even cognac beige leather inserts in the footwell, with a black rubber recessed texture to give them a non-slip surface. It is of course no coincidence that this texture matches the striking tread pattern of the tyres.
A unique combination of materials which lends a discreet elegance to the interior. An elegance which is in no way detrimental to function and durability: the centimetre-thick sole leather on the floor is sturdy enough for everyday wear and tear, and sufficiently resistant to dirt and moisture.
High side sills and the mighty, continuous centre tunnel surround the driver and passengers, producing anatomically correct niches with excellent lateral support. The seats with their pronounced contours are low and mounted on flat consoles so that the occupants assume an almost sports-car-like position, with their legs stretched out. One aspect which is unusual for a coupй is that the "Steppenwolf" offers not only the driver and front passenger, but also the two rear-seat passengers excellent seat comfort with plenty of room for legs and upper body.
Rear passengers will be treated to first-class comfort as soon as they climb aboard. The door cut-outs extend a long way back to provide a large opening, and the front seats of the "Steppenwolf" are fitted with the "Easy Entry" mechanism which has already proved a success on the A3. This allows them to be moved right forward, returning to their original position when the backrest is folded back again.
The voluminous luggage compartment is also untypical of a coupй. It can be loaded up easily through the side-hinged tailgate which has a window that can be lowered. The rear seats can of course be folded forward individually or together so that the entire area behind the front seats can be used to accommodate bulky sports equipment or even bicycles, for example.
When the low-beam headlights are switched on, the inside of the centre console is illuminated in a soft red. The footwell is well-lit when getting in or out of the car. The electronics dim the lighting to a minimum whilst driving to prevent distracting reflections in the front windows. Together with the typical Audi red instrument lighting, this illumination creates the atmosphere of an aircraft cockpit inside the "Steppenwolf", especially in the dark.
The driver's right hand only has to reach a short distance from the easy-grip three-spoke leather-rimmed sports steering wheel to the specially designed gear lever. With its matt metal surface and the open gearshift mechanism, it too provides its own individual touch, as indeed do the large rocker switches with wide rubber textured strips on the centre console. The starter button, protected by its own separate flap, is located at the centre of the rocker switch panel. The large, ergonomic rotary switch for the 4-level air suspension on the "Steppenwolf" is also in the centre console.
The driver will find the right switch immediately, even in the dark, even wearing gloves; operation of the controls never produces any unwelcome surprises.
ASS END: The Best View
Equipment
The navigation system Plus with large LCD monitor is perfectly integrated into the smooth centre console. The presence of this instrument in the off-roader's cockpit would appear to make even more sense than in other vehicles; it makes the driver's work easier and leaves him free to concentrate on his most important task. The GPS aerial of the navigation system is integrated out of sight in the rear roll bar.
The large centre console is not only highly functional, it also houses a cooler box. This is ideal for keeping drinks in, and will by no means only come in handy if embarking on a trek across the desert.
There is no lack of storage space in the "Steppenwolf" for all those everyday items needed in the car. Besides a large glove box there are particularly practical storage compartments in the high side sills which secure their contents with a net. This will put an end to maps etc. falling out of the door pockets when the doors are opened.
Generous seat pockets attached to the back of the front seats can be removed: the most important items can thus be stowed here and taken out of the car if an off-road expedition is continued on foot, for example.
Something which has come to be expected in an Audi can also be found in the "Steppenwolf": a BOSE sound system with CD player. A total of nine speakers produce a listening experience which will satisfy even the most sophisticated of demands.
The "Steppenwolf" is an all-rounder. Just like its legendary ancestors, the Audi quattro and Sport quattro, it offers the technology of a rally sports car - on both asphalt and gravel tracks. It unites the indisputable authenticity of a driving machine with the advanced elegance of Audi design. A car that extends horizons, whose potential allows experiences beyond the realms of apparent possibility. A precision tool for the way through even uncertain terrain.
SOUNTRACK: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
BELIEVER: http://www.believermag.com/
|
--
THE MANHATTAN PROJECT: DINO GmBH
--
ACCOVION is a full-service contract research organization offering study planning, study management, clinical monitoring, pharmacovigilance, data management, biostatistics, medical writing, electronic publishing, and document management. We have 200 highly skilled and experienced staff working on regional and global projects, from phase I-IV studies to submission dossiers: http://www.management-forum.co.uk/
Accovion GmbH was spun off from Aventis Pharma Deutschland GmbH on January 1st, 2002. Accovion is incorporated in Eschborn (Frankfurt), Germany.
Shareholders are:
- the management and senior staff of Accovion
- HeidelbergCapital - Private Equity
- Creathor Venture
HeidelbergCapital is an independent Private Equity Funds Group, specialising in Secondary Direct Investments, e.g. the acquisition of shareholdings in companies previously held by private equity/venture capital funds or banks.
HeidelbergCapital was founded mid 2007 by Prof. Dr. Martin Weiblen, former Managing Director of a multi-billion family office in London/U.K. and advisor to several Life Science-Funds. The company is jointly managed with Dr. Clemens Doppler, former Partner at 3i, the British Private Equity Group. The New York based Private Equity Investor Auda has committed c150m USD for the first fund, HeidelbergCapital Private Equity Fund I.
The portfolio of HeidelbergCapital ranges from investments in later stage venture companies with a proven business model to established mid-size operations. As an active partner, HeidelbergCapital supports the companies in strategic business decisions, but also provides, where appropriate, funding for further growth.
HeidelbergCapital was founded mid 2007 by Prof. Dr. Martin Weiblen, former Managing Director of a multi-billion family office in London/U.K. and advisor to several Life Science-Funds. The company is jointly managed with Dr. Clemens Doppler, former Partner at 3i, the British Private Equity Group. The New York based Private Equity Investor Auda has committed c150m USD for the first fund, HeidelbergCapital Private Equity Fund I.
The portfolio of HeidelbergCapital ranges from investments in later stage venture companies with a proven business model to established mid-size operations. As an active partner, HeidelbergCapital supports the companies in strategic business decisions, but also provides, where appropriate, funding for further growth.
Creathor is one of Germany's leading early-stage venture capital firms with a focus on investments in innovative technologies and business concepts in the sectors life science, communications, IT, optics, micro- and nano technologies.
Creathor's team, with its general partner and founder of former Technologieholding VC GmbH, Dr. Gert Köhler and partners Ingo Franz and Karlheinz Schmelig, has a successful track record of more than 20 years of investing in high-tech companies: http://www.apsec.de/deutsch/tools/
Wir investieren in allen Unternehmensphasen. Bevorzugt engagieren wir uns bereits in der Frühphase (Seed oder Start-up) und betreuen unsere Beteiligungen dann aktiv als Lead-Investor in jedem Stadium der Entwicklung - sei es bei weiteren Finanzierungsrunden, beim Börsengang oder auch bei einem etwaigen Verkauf. Dabei nutzen wir einerseits unsere Erfahrung beim Aufbau und der Globalisierung von Unternehmen und andererseits unser internationales Netzwerk in Industrie, Wissenschaft und Finanzwelt.
Je nach Finanzierungsbedarf beteiligen wir uns mit bis zu 10 Mio. Euro, eine Untergrenze für Investitionen haben wir nicht. Bei höherem Kapitalbedarf investieren wir zusammen mit Partnern aus unserem internationalen Netzwerk von Venture-Capital-Gesellschaften
Schluß mit der grauen Theorie! Hier erleben Sie IT-Sicherheit “live”.
Finden Sie heraus, wo Ihr Unternehmen sich in Punkto Sicherheit noch verbessern kann. Oder rechnen Sie aus, wie schnell sich diesbezügliche Investitionen auszahlen. Oder probieren Sie doch gleich selbst aus, wie “applied security” funktioniert – prüfen Sie eigenhändig eine elektronische Unterschrift. Viel Spaß dabei!
fideAS® – nomen est omen
Schutz und Sicherheit hängen eng zusammen mit Vertrauen. Den Schutz Ihrer persönlichen Daten und der Daten, die für Ihr Unternehmen und Ihre Zukunft wichtig sind, sollten Sie nur Verschlüsselungs-Experten anvertrauen.
Im apsec-Entwickler-Team arbeiten ausschließlich Menschen, für die Kryptographie kein „Buch mit sieben Siegeln“ ist. Dass wir dabei immer auf dem neuesten Stand der Technik sind, ist selbstverständlich für uns und gut für Sie.
Da alle unsere eigenen Softwarelösungen, die fideAS®-Produktfamilie, ausschließlich in unserem Hause entwickelt wurden, können wir mit gutem Gewissen sagen:
fide AS! – Vertraue Applied Security!
Wie setzt sich der Produktname fideAS® zusammen?
fidere = lateinisch = vertrauen
fide! = Imperativ = vertraue!
fideAS® = hier steht AS für Applied Security
fidere = lateinisch = vertrauen
fide! = Imperativ = vertraue!
fideAS® = hier steht AS für Applied Security
SQUEEZE: Pulling Mussels From A Shell
DINO KgA: http://www.apsec.de/deutsch/produkte/
--
W: The Personal Shopper
--
INVESTORS.COM/OPTIONS: Keeping Score (wsj.com
Beethoven 9th Symphony. The Ode to Joy. Beethoven Symphony 9
Schiller’s poem " The Ode to Joy " interested him from 1793 when he sought to write a song, but the musical theme of Part IV was written only a year before the completion of the symphony
Part I – Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso – constitutes an everlasting moment in the creation of the composer and proof of his creative genius. The secondary violins and the cellos constitute the musical background and, bit-by-bit, scattered sonorities of cvarta and cvinta come into place expressing a slight indecision. But afterwards, with incredible force, the first theme is introduced, contrasting with the secondary themes and motives derived from it.
" This first somber introduction with epic character renders the bloody days of terror. The empire of freedom and union must be conquered. All the horrors of war constitute the musical substance of this first part…"(A.N.Serov quoted by Alsvang )
Part II – Allegro vivace– is a joyful scherzo with a theme coined by Beethoven in 1815 initially meant for a fugato. Evidently he does not give up this idea, for the general form of this part is that of a fugato. It expresses joy of such intensity and depth that the repetition of the scherzo does not overshadow it.
After this second part, the public burst into applause as Karl Holtz was recounting: "The instrumentalists had tears in their eyes. The maestro was constantly pointing the measure, up to the point when Umlauf, by a show of hands, pointed to the public. He looked around him and calmly bowed."
Part III – Adagio molto e cantabile – is marked by a different atmosphere than the previous parts, so we are under the impression that a new cycle begins. This is a moment of great lyricism, from which the composer eliminates any trace of doubt and conflict. The first theme can be considered a coral on a melodic construction, rendered by the chord instruments, and then followed by a secondary theme with a different structure (in ternary meter). It has a dancing disposition resulted from the removal of certain motifs, giving the impression of an " infinite, elliptical melody ".
Part IV – Allegro assai – represents the synthesis of the whole symphony, a memorable page in the book of universal culture.
Schiller wrote the poem “The Ode to Joy” in 1785 and it brought great enthusiasm at that time among the German youth, Beethoven included. Only he became aware of this poem much later, when he was 20, through one of his professors, Fischenich, also a friend of the Schiller family.
| Read more about all the other Beethoven symphonies |
- Symphony No. 1, in C major, op. 21 (1799-1800)
- Symphony No. 2, in D major, op.36 (1802)
- Symphony No. 3, in E flat major, op.55, also known as “Eroica”, (1804)
- Symphony No. 4, in B flat major, op. 60, (1806)
- Symphony No. 5, in C minor, op. 67 (1807)
- Symphony No. 6, in F major, op. 68, also known as „Pastoral” (1808)
- Symphony No. 7, in La major, op. 92, also known as “The Apotheosis of Dance”, (1812)
- Symphony No. 8, in F major, op.93 also known as “The Little Symphony”(1812)
Read more about Beethoven's music
- The piano sonatas - Analysis of the sonata form and the most important Beethoven Piano Sonatas.
- Trios - General discussion regarding Beethoven's trios for various instruments and ensembles.
- Sonatas for Cello and Piano - Discussion about Beethoven's five cello and piano sonatas.
- Sonatas for Violin and Piano - Overview of Beethoven's ten sonatas for violin and piano.
- String Quartets - Brief analysis of Beethoven's seventeen string quartets.
- The Opera "Fidelio" - The background, subject and influences of Beethoven's only opera.
- The Concertos - Beethoven's five piano concertos, his violin concerto and triple concerto analyzed.
- The Overtures - Brief overview of some of the most important Beethoven overtures.
--
Robert Ludlum's™ The Ambler Warning: BUCKWHEAT
DINO: DANA DANE
One of the most popular of "The Little Rascals". Thomas played Buckwheat in 93 "Our Gang" films, beginning in 1934. Conceived as a replacement for Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Buckwheat was originally an androgynous character with a tangle of braids, but with time he assumed his true gender and standard costume of floppy hat, striped shirt, and tattered pants precariously held up by one suspender. His garbled English---punctuated by his signature exclamation, "Otay!"---belied a craftiness that put him one step ahead of the bigger kids, and he was often paired with the inscrutable Porky as a sort of Greek chorus to the Gang's antics. Buckwheat stayed with "Our Gang" until the series' demise in 1944. Described by his co-stars as easygoing and cooperative, Thomas had seemingly little difficulty adjusting to life outside of show business. After serving in the Army during the Korean War (and obviously not World War II, as noted on his grave marker), he worked for many years as a lab technician at Technicolor and made few attempts to cash in on his fame. When he was given a standing ovation at an "Our Gang" reunion in August of 1980, Thomas was moved to tears. Two months later he died of a heart attack. He was 49. His Buckwheat character was affectionately spoofed by Eddie Murphy during the comedian's stint on TV's "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1980s. Thomas was born in Los Angeles.
"On Parrish Island, a restricted island off the coast of Virginia, there is a little known and never visited psychiatric facility. There, far from prying eyes, the government stores former intelligence employees whose psychiatric state make them a danger to their own government, people whose ramblings might endanger ongoing operations or prove dangerously inconvenient. One of these employees, former Consular Operations agent Hal Ambler is kept heavily medicated and closely watched. But, there's one difference between Hal and the other patients - Hal isn't crazy. With the help of a sympathetic nurse, Hal manages to first clear his mind of the drug-induced haze and then pulls off a daring escape. Now he's out to discover who stashed him here and why - but the world he returns to isn't the one he remembers. Friends and longtime associates don't remember him, there are no official record of Hal Ambler, and, when he first sees himself in the mirror, the face that looks back at him is not the one he knows as his own."
98-100, boulevard Konrad Adenauer
L-2950 Luxembourg
L-2950 Luxembourg
(+352) 43 79 1 (+352) 43 79 1
(+352) 43 77 04 (+352) 43 77 04
(+352) 43 79 - 22000 (+352) 43 79 - 22000
(+352) 43 79 - 62000 (+352) 43 79 - 62000
--
FirstGlimpseMag.com
Sandhills Publishing Company
USA GST: 123482788RT0001
ISSN: 1554-2106
131 West Grand Drive
P.O. Box 85380
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501-5380
800.733.3809 800.733.3809
--
--
The Rothschild banking family of France was founded in 1812 in Paris by James Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868). James was sent there from his home in Frankfurt, Germany by his father, Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812). Wanting his sons to succeed on their own and to expand the family business across Europe, Mayer Amschel Rothschild had his eldest son remain in Frankfurt, while his four other sons were sent to different European cities to establish a financial institution to invest in business and provide banking services. Endogamy within the family was an essential part of the Rothschild strategy in order to ensure control of their wealth remained in family hands.
Through their collaborative efforts, the Rothschilds rose to prominence in a variety of banking endeavors including loans, government bonds and trading in bullion. Their financing afforded investment opportunities and during the 19th century they became major stakeholders in large-scale mining and rail transport ventures that were fundamental to the rapidly expanding industrial economies of Europe. In partnership with N M Rothschild & Sons of England they owned Chemin de Fer du Nord railway in France that ran from their Gare du Nord station in Paris to the English Channel. In addition, the Rothschilds in France became leaders in the wine growing industry. By the later part of the 19th century oil was fast becoming an important commodity and the French bank was heavily involved in oil exploration in the Baku area of present-day Azerbaijan through their company, the Caspian and Black Sea Oil Industry and Trade Society established in 1883. Their investment proved to be a lucrative one and by the turn of the century, the various oil companies in Azerbaijan were producing more oil than any country in the world. In 1898 the Rothschilds established the Mazut Transportation Society that developed a fleet of oil tankers operating in the Caspian Sea. In 1911, the Royal Dutch Shell company purchased the Azerbaijan oil fields from the Rothschild family.
The French Revolution in 1789 brought positive changes for French Jews, resulting in their full emancipation in 1791. In 1806, Napoleon I ordered the convening of a "Grand Sanhedrin" in Paris and in 1808 he organized the "Consistoire central des Israélites de France", the administrative agency for all French Jews. The consistorial system made Judaism a recognized religion and placed it under government control. This Consistoire has been a functioning body ever since, except under the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. By tradition, the Central Consistoire has had a member of the Rothschild family as its President.
Jacob Mayer Rothschild, the youngest son, settled in Paris in 1812 where his name Jacob was translated to James. In 1817, he formally created the bank, de Rothschild Frères whose partners were brothers Amschel of Germany, James of France, Carl of Naples, Nathan of England and Salomon of Austria. Highly successful as lenders and investors, the Paris operation also became bankers for Leopold I of Belgium. In 1822 the influential James and his four brothers were awarded the hereditary title of "Baron" by Emperor Francis I of Austria.
Following the July Revolution of 1830 that saw Louis-Philippe come to power in France, James de Rothschild put together the loan package to stabilize the finances of the new government and a second loan in 1834. In recognition of his services to the nation, King Louis-Philippe elevated James to a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. In his book, The House of Rothschild (vol. 2) : The World's Banker: 1849-1999, Niall Ferguson wrote that according to the records, in 1815 the capital of the Paris banking house James Mayer de Rothschild founded amounted to £55,000; by 1852 the figure was £3,541,700 and just ten years after his death, £16,914,000. There is a theory that before Louis-Phillipe came to power the Rothschilds were fronting for the House of Orleans. A major portion of the business has consisted of selling French government bonds to French investors through London to protect their anonymity. There was a general perception on the part of the French that otherwise their government might unilaterally reset terms. No French fortune was more likely to face the problem than the younger branch of the royal family. The theory follows that when the Orleanists came to power they became less provident but by then the Rothschilds had numerous other clients.
The de Rothschild Frères banking business was passed down to ensuing generations. Run by his sons Gustave and Alphonse, during the Franco-Prussian War the bank put together a syndicate that raised the five billion francs the country was obliged to pay Prussia under the terms of the 1871 armistice. James Mayer de Rothschild had stipulated "that the three branches of the family descended from him always be represented." For the next two generations that was the case but in 1939, Edouard Alphonse de Rothschild and cousin Robert Philippe, incompatible with their other cousin Maurice de Rothschild, bought out his share. Maurice went on to be enormously successful and, having inherited a fortune from the childless Adolphe de Rothschild of the Naples branch of the family, he moved to Geneva, Switzerland and perpetuated the new Swiss branch of the family.
In 1873 de Rothschild Frères in France and N M Rothschild & Sons of London joined with other investors to acquire the Spanish government's money-losing Rio Tinto copper mines. The new owners restructured the company and turned it into a profitable business. By 1905, the Rothschild interest in Rio Tinto amounted to more than 30 percent. In 1887, the French and English Rothschild banking houses lent money to, and invested in, the De Beers diamond mines in South Africa, becoming its largest shareholders.
Changes in the heads of government, war, and other such events affected the family's fortunes both for their benefit and to their detriment. However, the interests of all Rothschild banking families across Europe were adversely impacted in a very major way by three historical events: 1) the Revolutions of 1848, 2) the Great Depression of the 1930s and 3) Nazism of the late 30s through World War II. For the French branch, the 1981 nationalization by the newly elected socialist government of François Mitterrand was an equally significant disaster[1][2].
In 1953, future President of France, Georges Pompidou, joined de Rothschild Frères and from 1956-1962 he served as General manager. In 1962, the Rothschild's created Imétal (now named Imerys), an umbrella company for their considerable mining ventures. Headed by Guy de Rothschild, Imétal looked outward, investing in Great Britain and the United States, a move that put him on the December 20, 1963 cover of Time. In the 1960s, government reform of banking regulations ended the legal distinction between banques d'affaires and deposit banks and in 1967 de Rothschild Frères became Banque Rothschild, a limited-liability company.
A part of the success of the bank that James Rothschild built was through the funding of loans to European governments. This sector of banking began to decline during the latter part of the 19th century following the introduction of new methods for government financing. Still highly successful, the Rothschilds were a major force in European financial markets until their bank and Imétal were nationalized in 1981 by the French government, the bank becoming the state-owned Compagnie Européenne de Banque. It took until 1986, when the Socialists lost power, for Rothschild family members to get a new banking license. In 1987 a successor company called Rothschild & Cie Banque was created by David R. de Rothschild who was joined by his half-brother Edouard and cousin Eric de Rothschild. In 2003, following the retirement of Sir Evelyn de Rothschild as head of N M Rothschild & Sons of London, the English and French firms merged into the Group Rothschild under the leadership of David R. de Rothschild. In 2006, the French banking division expanded into Brussels, Belgium.
Since 1916, members of the family have been vacationing at Megève, an exclusive ski resort in the Haute Savoie département of France, a place that Noémie de Rothschild is responsible for developing and where the family maintains a substantial investment
By the end of the 19th century, the introduction of national taxation systems had ended the Rothschild's policy of operating with a single set of commercial account records resulting in the various houses gradually going their own separate ways. The coherence that had worked so well for the five brothers and their successor sons had all but disappeared by World War I. In Britain, the introduction of estate taxes resulted in Rothschild inheritors handing over multi-millions to the government that brought an end to the passing down of their great mansions. However, the estate tax relative to the bank and corporate assets was far more detrimental long-term because it restricted growth at a time when publicly owned banks were expanding rapidly with huge resources raised on capital markets. In 1979, the bank Rothschild Freres was nationalized by the French socialist government.
The second French branch was founded by Nathaniel de Rothschild (1812–1870). Born in London he was the fourth child of the founder of the British branch of the family, Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836). In 1842, he married Charlotte de Rothschild (1825–1899), daughter of James Mayer de Rothschild and in 1850, they moved to Paris, where he was to work for his father-in-law's bank. However, in 1853 Nathaniel acquired Château Brane Mouton, a vineyard in Pauillac in the Gironde département. Nathaniel Rothschild renamed the estate Château Mouton Rothschild: it would become one of the best-known wine labels in the world.
In 1868, Nathaniel's uncle/father-in-law, James Mayer de Rothschild, acquired the prestigious neighbouring vineyard, Château Lafite.
--
Recall: February 15, 2002
(*NYPD Blue: Ticket issued for "Disturbing the Peace". How Ironic *)
Recall: February 16, 2002
1. Meeting with Maryann Keller of ING Barings[@] at 40 Fifth Avenue, 11C, in reference to BTO. Maryann Keller was one of nearly one dozen AUTO ANALYSTS who signed the NDNA (*including Joe Phillipi/Rob Hinchliffe and UBS, Rob Tadross and Bank of America, Nick Lobocarro at Lehman Brothers, Deutsche Bank....*) after being sent a letter of introduction written by NORMAN HEYMAN.
2. Conference call with Clive Hawkins, regarding MacQuarie Bank in Australia representing ARIA GROUP in the G2 CONTRACT, which is a 20% STOCK SWAP with ICV, LLC. The following Wednesday, he met with representatives at SEMA and the NHTSA: National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration. So I assure you, there is no way in hell that PRODRIVE acquired the ARIA Group (even if Mr. Cobb custumized a subaru in Car and Driver).
3. Daniel Kammen wrote a LETTER TO VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: cc: Condoleeza Rice and Spencer Abraham, a copy of which can be obtained from his web site.
[*]I suppose now I actually believe in "curses". I distinctly remember sometime in my PAST LIFE, the woman formerly known as my mother (*in a fit of rage*) saying "I CURSE THE DAY THAT YOU WERE BORN."
[@]Sub brand: THE SONIC = "www.sonicgarden.com". WAYNE IRVING of SPIN RECORDS: www.SpinRecords.com and www.SpeedMonster.com. I have a handwritten telephone message from him on December 30, 1999, to the conference room and office inside the show booth at the L.A. Auto Show (reminding me that ING Barings had funded our record label to the tune of $30 Million). This was the day before December 31, 1999, when there is another message from Philip Munger: joe@planetvida.com.br, who was in BRAZIL, asking for the corporation's "bank account" so that he could "wire some money" for the show. This is in contradistinction to the FALSIFIED FINANCIALS and TAX RETURNS filed by Lucy Ostrofsky of Quantum Financial (*under the direction of Philip Munger, Thomas Choi of Bear Stearns, who was raising $15 Biillion for Ford Credit, and Richard McGinnis: The three of whom removed me from the corporate bank accounts, and acted as OFFICERS, using the account to wire money to PAY CONSULTANTS: "consideration", which forms a BINDING CONTRACT: Consultant's Certificate and Assignment of All Inventions to the Corporation*).
Reality Check: If, as it it is claimed, $100,000.00 was wired into an account (The day www.icvehicles.com, www.icvehicles.net and www.icvehicles.org paid its fee to NETWORK SOLUTIONS to "host a web site", the PASSWORD: ceooficv, as well as entered into a contract with SCHWARTZ, LEVIN & MILANO: Exit Strategies, where Eugene Freedman, the "former" chairman of PRICEWATERHOUSE "COOPERS & LYBRAND" agreed to purchase options and founders stock, become a BOARD MEMBER as well as the CHAIRMAN of the FINANCE AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE: He also happens to be on the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of THE LIMITED BRANDS: Victoria's Secret]|[HEIDI KLUM: Project Runway], Flash Wiley who is on the board of directors of DOLLAR RENT A CAR and EZ-PASS, as well as is the former president of the Black Entertainment Lawyers' Association and Leslie Fang, of Harvard Medical School, and MARK FERBER: Ex-convict (exits@banet.net) jailed for some type of securities fraud after being prosecuted by Merrill Lynch, but very smart, nonetheless*), then there wouldn't have been a phone message from him from Brazil asking for the bank account of the corporation, and NONE OF THE CHECKS WOULD HAVE BOUNCED FOR THE L.A. AUTO SHOW: California Dreamin' during Y2K. It is safe to assume that long before November 1, 1999, I knew the total commitments I had made for the auto show, and would not have done so, had I not had a BREACHED PROMISE to cover those costs IN A TIMELY MANNER. Like many other docuuments, the "promissory note: conversion to equity" dated November 1, 1999, is a FORGED DOCUMENT: it is backdated, it does not reflect the accurate time or date or amount loaned, and there is no way I would have signed a document to convert a $1.2 Million loan to equity, three days before the loan was even made (and more importantly, the initial loan was only $250,000.00.).
--
[^]"Metal Mecca" was an article about the assembly facility at Maranello in a car magazine. ANATOMY OF A GENIUS was the advertising campaign for the Audi A8 Spaceframe. According to "The Concept of Value", one must find PUBLISHED CLOSING PRICES of securities or commodities (or, alternatively, the "sale price" of comparable companies to determine the damages which have resulted from the loss: the PLAINTIFF is entitled to the HIGHEST VALUE of all possible "estimates" or "testimony" provided by EXPERT WITNESSES.
Cross Reference: Paul Eisenstein's "Money: Have You Driven a Fjord, Lately". Published May 1999, where the stock prices of FORD, GM and DAIMLER CHRYLSER were published (roughly $60.00, $119.00 and $135.00 per share, respectively), and the MANAGEMENT TEAMS from BMW and CHRYSLER (among others were quoted). The article begins: "So You Think You're Going to Leave The Biopharmaceutical Industry to Join the Auto Industry?", and then goes to tell of some "unnammed person" who warned the auto industry that unless they followed his plan, it would COLLAPSE. The same unnamedperson warned them that a serious recession was looming, which would only serve to exacerbate and compound the problem. The response from the various TEAMS:
1. BMW: "We choose to remain INDEPENDENT".
2. CHRYSLER: "Well, if that's the case, then we wish the damned recession would begiin tomorrow".
Be careful what you wish for.
Query: So what did you do?
ANSWER: I went to William Gerken, at UBS-Paine Webber, and told him to contact ART CASHIN, the floor trader, to open a MARGIN ACCOUNT: 40% "loan". Consistent with the "warnings" and admonitions", i then told him I wanted to SELL SHORT: Ford, GM and DCX (*at the top*), which means I sold the shares at $60.00, $119.00 and $135.00 per share, RECEIVED THE CASH, and have yet to buy back the shares, to return them to the firm. Using the MARGIN ACCOUNT, I went LONG: North Sea Brent Crude, at $52.00 per share, in order to take advantage of the process known as COKED PETROLEUM, whereby the waste product used from processing gasoline, is used to SMELT ALUMINUM.
I wrote a file called: SCIENCE FACTION|Apocalypse 2.0, and sent it (*as one of the many chapters of the book I wrote which most of you have yet to read, actually, it was more like a DIARY or a CONTINUATION of the PATENT NOTEBOOK*), in which certain companies: SCHLUMBERGER|TUV America[ppp], could HEDGE THEIR IMPENDING LOSSES by investing in various aspects of the PROCESS used to create the various COMMODITIES used in the manufacture of this "new car" and "new engine", as it will not be very long, before these engines completely make "fossil fuel" powered vehicles OBSOLETE.
Paul Eisensteins later publication: "Herr Piech: What is in a Name?", I never read. What's that one about?
[ppp]Footnote: Some book called "100 Year Companies" (*or something like that*) published by two professors at KELLOGG, University of Chicago Business School, whereby they analyzed several dozen 100 YEAR COMPANIES (those which have existed for more than a century), to attempt to define what "characteristics" each of these brands shared, which made them endure. The company I chose to "parallel" was SCHLUMBERGER, because of the obvious connection between "automotive" and "automotive". Though I only read the first 1/3 of the book, I gleaned enough to make sure that i could say (with confidence), that MY COMPANY WILL STILL BE IN EXISTENCE AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY 100 Years from now. I'm not sure how many other companies could just as confidently make that claim.
Several years ago, for Christmas, I received an E-Card (*HAPPY FEET: The March of the Penguins*), from TUV America, which connected itself to SCHLUMBERGER, in France.
[?] Bill CORD: 11110 Business Circle, Cerritos, CA.
--
Filename: Puttin' On The Ritz
Cross Reference: DAVID HARTGE, 66 Heritage Way
From 1908 to 1921, most motorists drove around in large, 4-door, open touring cars. These drivers often envied the owners of closed in cars. However, closed-in models cost substantially more than a touring body on the same chassis. In 1921, Hudson announced that it would offer a 2-door cooach foor $1495, only $300 more than the open version.
The Hudson ESSEX completely chaged the public's preferences in auto styles.
The 1922 Essex had very few amenities, although did provide the weather protection and comfort that open touring car passengers could not enjoy. By 1929, the Hudson Essex was selling for $795 and became America's number three selling auto, behind Ford and Chevrolet.
"It's a Duesy"[dO!Ozy(tm)]
The Duesenberg brothers, Fred and Augie, amde their name in auto racing, and the Duesenberg was considered as a step into the top ranks of American motordom.
Hollywood was particularly fertile ground for Deusenberg dealers: buyers included Marion Davies, Mae West, Greta Garbo, GARY COOPER, Clark Gable and newspaper tycon William Randolph hearst. COOPER and GABLE had the only twoo short-chassis SSJ two passenger Duesenberg sports cars made. Another Duesenberg ownder was J. Paul Getty in 1932. Foreign owners of Deusenbergs incuded the Kings of Italy and Spain. In July 1932, three weeks after an auto accident, Fred Deusenberg died of pneumonia. His last design was a supercharged model (320 horsepower) and was designated: THE SJ[?]
Have you seen the well-to-do, up and down Park Avenue
On that famous thoroughfare, with their noses in the air
High hats and Arrowed collars, white spats and lots of dollars
Spending every dime, for a wonderful time
If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
Why don't you go where fashion sits,
Puttin' on the ritz.
Different types who wear a daycoat, pants with stripes
And cut away coat, perfect fits,
Puttin' on the ritz.
Dressed up like a million dollar trouper
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper (super duper)
Come let's mix where Rockefellers walk with sticks
Or umbrellas in their mitts
Puttin' on the Ritz
Tips his hat just like an english chappie
To a lady with a wealthy pappy (very snappy)
You'll declare it's simply topping to be there
And hear them swapping smart titbits
Puttin' on the Ritz!
Footnote: PSALM 9:1-13
(*The Umbrella: TRAVELLER'S INSURANCE|ICV NDNA: Harvey Eisen, Primerica*)![http://typophile.com/node/35438]( "http://typophile.com/node/35438")
ForPigSexxx: thanks for the umbrella, however
I fail to see what i'd need an UMBRELLA for, if I
am "THE RAINMAKER".
--
Recall: February 15, 2002
(*NYPD Blue: Ticket issued for "Disturbing the Peace". How Ironic *)
Recall: February 16, 2002
1. Meeting with Maryann Keller of ING Barings[@] at 40 Fifth Avenue, 11C, in reference to BTO. Maryann Keller was one of nearly one dozen AUTO ANALYSTS who signed the NDNA (*including Joe Phillipi/Rob Hinchliffe and UBS, Rob Tadross and Bank of America, Nick Lobocarro at Lehman Brothers, Deutsche Bank....*) after being sent a letter of introduction written by NORMAN HEYMAN.
2. Conference call with Clive Hawkins, regarding MacQuarie Bank in Australia representing ARIA GROUP in the G2 CONTRACT, which is a 20% STOCK SWAP with ICV, LLC. The following Wednesday, he met with representatives at SEMA and the NHTSA: National Highway Traffic & Safety Administration. So I assure you, there is no way in hell that PRODRIVE acquired the ARIA Group (even if Mr. Cobb custumized a subaru in Car and Driver).
3. Daniel Kammen wrote a LETTER TO VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: cc: Condoleeza Rice and Spencer Abraham, a copy of which can be obtained from his web site.
[*]I suppose now I actually believe in "curses". I distinctly remember sometime in my PAST LIFE, the woman formerly known as my mother (*in a fit of rage*) saying "I CURSE THE DAY THAT YOU WERE BORN."
[@]Sub brand: THE SONIC = "www.sonicgarden.com". WAYNE IRVING of SPIN RECORDS: www.SpinRecords.com and www.SpeedMonster.com. I have a handwritten telephone message from him on December 30, 1999, to the conference room and office inside the show booth at the L.A. Auto Show (reminding me that ING Barings had funded our record label to the tune of $30 Million). This was the day before December 31, 1999, when there is another message from Philip Munger: joe@planetvida.com.br, who was in BRAZIL, asking for the corporation's "bank account" so that he could "wire some money" for the show. This is in contradistinction to the FALSIFIED FINANCIALS and TAX RETURNS filed by Lucy Ostrofsky of Quantum Financial (*under the direction of Philip Munger, Thomas Choi of Bear Stearns, who was raising $15 Biillion for Ford Credit, and Richard McGinnis: The three of whom removed me from the corporate bank accounts, and acted as OFFICERS, using the account to wire money to PAY CONSULTANTS: "consideration", which forms a BINDING CONTRACT: Consultant's Certificate and Assignment of All Inventions to the Corporation*).
Reality Check: If, as it it is claimed, $100,000.00 was wired into an account (The day www.icvehicles.com, www.icvehicles.net and www.icvehicles.org paid its fee to NETWORK SOLUTIONS to "host a web site", the PASSWORD: ceooficv, as well as entered into a contract with SCHWARTZ, LEVIN & MILANO: Exit Strategies, where Eugene Freedman, the "former" chairman of PRICEWATERHOUSE "COOPERS & LYBRAND" agreed to purchase options and founders stock, become a BOARD MEMBER as well as the CHAIRMAN of the FINANCE AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE: He also happens to be on the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of THE LIMITED BRANDS: Victoria's Secret]|[HEIDI KLUM: Project Runway], Flash Wiley who is on the board of directors of DOLLAR RENT A CAR and EZ-PASS, as well as is the former president of the Black Entertainment Lawyers' Association and Leslie Fang, of Harvard Medical School, and MARK FERBER: Ex-convict (exits@banet.net) jailed for some type of securities fraud after being prosecuted by Merrill Lynch, but very smart, nonetheless*), then there wouldn't have been a phone message from him from Brazil asking for the bank account of the corporation, and NONE OF THE CHECKS WOULD HAVE BOUNCED FOR THE L.A. AUTO SHOW: California Dreamin' during Y2K. It is safe to assume that long before November 1, 1999, I knew the total commitments I had made for the auto show, and would not have done so, had I not had a BREACHED PROMISE to cover those costs IN A TIMELY MANNER. Like many other docuuments, the "promissory note: conversion to equity" dated November 1, 1999, is a FORGED DOCUMENT: it is backdated, it does not reflect the accurate time or date or amount loaned, and there is no way I would have signed a document to convert a $1.2 Million loan to equity, three days before the loan was even made (and more importantly, the initial loan was only $250,000.00.).
--
[^]"Metal Mecca" was an article about the assembly facility at Maranello in a car magazine. ANATOMY OF A GENIUS was the advertising campaign for the Audi A8 Spaceframe. According to "The Concept of Value", one must find PUBLISHED CLOSING PRICES of securities or commodities (or, alternatively, the "sale price" of comparable companies to determine the damages which have resulted from the loss: the PLAINTIFF is entitled to the HIGHEST VALUE of all possible "estimates" or "testimony" provided by EXPERT WITNESSES.
Cross Reference: Paul Eisenstein's "Money: Have You Driven a Fjord, Lately". Published May 1999, where the stock prices of FORD, GM and DAIMLER CHRYLSER were published (roughly $60.00, $119.00 and $135.00 per share, respectively), and the MANAGEMENT TEAMS from BMW and CHRYSLER (among others were quoted). The article begins: "So You Think You're Going to Leave The Biopharmaceutical Industry to Join the Auto Industry?", and then goes to tell of some "unnammed person" who warned the auto industry that unless they followed his plan, it would COLLAPSE. The same unnamedperson warned them that a serious recession was looming, which would only serve to exacerbate and compound the problem. The response from the various TEAMS:
1. BMW: "We choose to remain INDEPENDENT".
2. CHRYSLER: "Well, if that's the case, then we wish the damned recession would begiin tomorrow".
Be careful what you wish for.
Query: So what did you do?
ANSWER: I went to William Gerken, at UBS-Paine Webber, and told him to contact ART CASHIN, the floor trader, to open a MARGIN ACCOUNT: 40% "loan". Consistent with the "warnings" and admonitions", i then told him I wanted to SELL SHORT: Ford, GM and DCX (*at the top*), which means I sold the shares at $60.00, $119.00 and $135.00 per share, RECEIVED THE CASH, and have yet to buy back the shares, to return them to the firm. Using the MARGIN ACCOUNT, I went LONG: North Sea Brent Crude, at $52.00 per share, in order to take advantage of the process known as COKED PETROLEUM, whereby the waste product used from processing gasoline, is used to SMELT ALUMINUM.
I wrote a file called: SCIENCE FACTION|Apocalypse 2.0, and sent it (*as one of the many chapters of the book I wrote which most of you have yet to read, actually, it was more like a DIARY or a CONTINUATION of the PATENT NOTEBOOK*), in which certain companies: SCHLUMBERGER|TUV America[ppp], could HEDGE THEIR IMPENDING LOSSES by investing in various aspects of the PROCESS used to create the various COMMODITIES used in the manufacture of this "new car" and "new engine", as it will not be very long, before these engines completely make "fossil fuel" powered vehicles OBSOLETE.
Paul Eisensteins later publication: "Herr Piech: What is in a Name?", I never read. What's that one about?
[ppp]Footnote: Some book called "100 Year Companies" (*or something like that*) published by two professors at KELLOGG, University of Chicago Business School, whereby they analyzed several dozen 100 YEAR COMPANIES (those which have existed for more than a century), to attempt to define what "characteristics" each of these brands shared, which made them endure. The company I chose to "parallel" was SCHLUMBERGER, because of the obvious connection between "automotive" and "automotive". Though I only read the first 1/3 of the book, I gleaned enough to make sure that i could say (with confidence), that MY COMPANY WILL STILL BE IN EXISTENCE AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY 100 Years from now. I'm not sure how many other companies could just as confidently make that claim.
Several years ago, for Christmas, I received an E-Card (*HAPPY FEET: The March of the Penguins*), from TUV America, which connected itself to SCHLUMBERGER, in France.
[?] Bill CORD: 11110 Business Circle, Cerritos, CA.
--
Filename: Puttin' On The Ritz
Cross Reference: DAVID HARTGE, 66 Heritage Way
From 1908 to 1921, most motorists drove around in large, 4-door, open touring cars. These drivers often envied the owners of closed in cars. However, closed-in models cost substantially more than a touring body on the same chassis. In 1921, Hudson announced that it would offer a 2-door cooach foor $1495, only $300 more than the open version.
The Hudson ESSEX completely chaged the public's preferences in auto styles.
The 1922 Essex had very few amenities, although did provide the weather protection and comfort that open touring car passengers could not enjoy. By 1929, the Hudson Essex was selling for $795 and became America's number three selling auto, behind Ford and Chevrolet.
"It's a Duesy"[dO!Ozy(tm)]
The Duesenberg brothers, Fred and Augie, amde their name in auto racing, and the Duesenberg was considered as a step into the top ranks of American motordom.
Hollywood was particularly fertile ground for Deusenberg dealers: buyers included Marion Davies, Mae West, Greta Garbo, GARY COOPER, Clark Gable and newspaper tycon William Randolph hearst. COOPER and GABLE had the only twoo short-chassis SSJ two passenger Duesenberg sports cars made. Another Duesenberg ownder was J. Paul Getty in 1932. Foreign owners of Deusenbergs incuded the Kings of Italy and Spain. In July 1932, three weeks after an auto accident, Fred Deusenberg died of pneumonia. His last design was a supercharged model (320 horsepower) and was designated: THE SJ[?]
Have you seen the well-to-do, up and down Park Avenue
On that famous thoroughfare, with their noses in the air
High hats and Arrowed collars, white spats and lots of dollars
Spending every dime, for a wonderful time
If you're blue and you don't know where to go to
Why don't you go where fashion sits,
Puttin' on the ritz.
Different types who wear a daycoat, pants with stripes
And cut away coat, perfect fits,
Puttin' on the ritz.
Dressed up like a million dollar trouper
Trying hard to look like Gary Cooper (super duper)
Come let's mix where Rockefellers walk with sticks
Or umbrellas in their mitts
Puttin' on the Ritz
Tips his hat just like an english chappie
To a lady with a wealthy pappy (very snappy)
You'll declare it's simply topping to be there
And hear them swapping smart titbits
Puttin' on the Ritz!
Footnote: PSALM 9:1-13
(*The Umbrella: TRAVELLER'S INSURANCE|ICV NDNA: Harvey Eisen, Primerica*)
ForPigSexxx: thanks for the umbrella, however
I fail to see what i'd need an UMBRELLA for, if I
am "THE RAINMAKER".
- Main Entry: rain·mak·er
- Pronunciation: \ˈrān-ˌmā-kər\
- Function:noun
- Date: 1775
1: the person (as a partner in a law firm) who brings in new business ; also : a person whose influence can initiate progress or ensure success
— rain·mak·ing ![Listen to the pronunciation of rainmaking]( "Listen to the pronunciation of rainmaking")
\-ˌmā-ˈkiŋ\ noun
[?] There was a "photo" of a "prototype Duesenberg SJ Speedster" in Road and Track magazine, drawn by Mark Stehrenberger in 1999. Richard Schwartz went to Louis Vuitton to do a "deal" to supply CUSTOM FITTED LUGGAGE, including CUSTOM FITTED GOLF BAGS (*without my "permission"*) and then a group connecting itself to "Model E" and "Built to Order", put together a group of investors, which included SKY DAYTON of EARTHLINK (among others) to finance the production of this vehicle. Mark Stehrenberger and Robert Marianich (who created the ASCARI V10, with Klaus Zwort, using a BMW M V10 Engine, in Spain) are both guilty of FRAUD and EMBEZZLEMENT or TAX EVASION or RACKETEERING, because they each took: $50,000.00 written out as a CASHIER'S CHECK (and then deposited the sums into a swiss bank account, without paying taxes on it, OR delivering anything to the corporation which hired them, and created the ICV-SP Speedster JV proposal). That $100,000.00, was a BRIDGE LOAN from NEW CAPITAL A.G., which was then deposited into the ICV, LLC bank account, from which a check was written to open thhe ASC, LLC bank account AND pay for the incorporation of the subsequent three corporations: All of the ACCUMULATED DEFICIT of ICV, LLC is a result of LOANS TO THE CORPORATION by "yours truly: the man who formerly used the social security number 051-60-0659, but since his DEATH: Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, exists now as the CORPORATE ENTITY: DINO, LLC, and all of his credit is a reflection of the creditworthiness of the CORPORATION, whose sole purpose and function, is to "make investments in Accelerated Sciences Corporation" and other investments, and the SOLE INCORPORATOR is the only officer who runs that corporation, and who is authorized to enter into contracts with other entities.
The fact that my rendering: DEUTSCHELAND says "Dusenberg" is nether here nor there. If one looks closely at the DOOR SHUT LINES, it is the EVOLUTION of the BMW 327 Roadster (*unlike the "Mille Miglia" concept done by Mr. Bangle, this one was true the design heritage of the original BMW*) I chose not to do anything with Dusenberg, because:
1. It appeared, years ago, that they had found someone to design a vehicle, and they had found investors, and SCOTT PAINTER placed press releases in so many newspapers and periodicals to that effect, that it seemed pointless for ICV to purse creating a vehicle (*as David Hartge had requested*).
2. Once VW placed the name PHAETON on its flagship, it became quite clear that accessing those "trade names" was strictly off limits. Though I've never met a "Dusenberg", all I can say is, I fail to see what value I could bring too this process, or what any of you need me for, when all of this had already been done, money raised, car designed, and I was completely cut out of the loop. I'm quite sure, that what David Hartge had told me, was that ONLY if the vehicle was "consistent" with the history of the marque: "The most expensive car in the world. The fastest car in the world. Taking the checkered flag at the Indiannapolis 500. Fitted with a "Straight 8" engine, which could either be two-inline 4 engines, nose to tail, or a Straight-6 with 2 more cyliinders added", could the ICV concept car acquire the rights to that marque. Now that it never happened (*and several people who were CONSULTANTS to the corporation, under NON DISCLOSURE NON COMPETE, are in flagrant violation of their contract: Article III="Enformcement", whereby upon FILING SUIT, not only must my legal and court costs be paid, but my living expenses as well as "expert witness testimony" expenses. FOR THE RECORD: I will act as "expert witness" on behalf of the plaintiff. The defense can hire as many experts as they choose to attempt to "discredit" me*). And I am not suing Scott Painter or the cluster fuck known now as "Built To Order"/DUESENBERG. They made a choice (albeit a poor one) to pursue a different path for commercializing their vehicle. The following press release just goes to expose him as the total FRAUD that he is. It would be a waste of my fucking time to sue him. AllI know, is that legal entity MODEL E: Funded with a seed investment of $20 Million from SOFTBANK in Japan (*which the people at STONESOFT: www.stonesoft.com can corroborate*) is guilty of PLAGIARISM, as they took the ICV Powerpoint presentation from 1999, and then just changed the name and placed a "different" team there, who followed THE WRONG STRATEGY, as they failed to understand the subtleties of the business. The breach of contract lies with THE GSA and the GREENSPEED CONTRACT, in which DINO, LLC and John Parks are "co-chairmen", and the PROPOSAL was for the "recycled" and "refurbished" MUV[BMW 3 Series Platform] and MUV[Volkswagen Passat Platform] etc.
DETROIT — Scott Painter is a Silicon Valley millionaire, not a Detroit car guy. But his idea for a new car company has the interest of the world's biggest automaker and most auto parts suppliers here.
He wants to sell cars built to buyers' specifications. " His idea:" Take any option or alteration that a specialty garage might provide for a car after it rolls off the assembly line — but do it as the car is being built instead. Using a computer, buyers will be able to design colors, accessories and materials for a sedan, coupe, convertible or sport-utility vehicle, he says.
"We have a good sense of who wants customized cars and where they are," says Painter, 33, chairman of Build-To-Order. He was a co-founder of CarsDirect.com, an online service that helps buyers find the exact cars they want. Painter hopes to sell 30,000 cars a year, priced between $30,000 and $45,000, starting in 2004.
Analysts don't doubt there is a growing market for cars that are built to order. Customizing cars has gone from a $300 million-a-year business in 1997 to likely $800 million this year. But they haven't seen the business plan yet that makes sense.
"We certainly have documented that there is a true slice of demand for built-to-order cars," says Randy Barba, partner in Accenture's automotive practice. "And because of the entrenched dealer networks and fixed costs, we have thought it would have to be a start-up or a new separate company launched by one of the big car companies."
Painter, whose headquarters is in Santa Monica, Calif., amassed most of this wealth during the heyday of the Internet. CarsDirect.com, in which he still holds a stake, is one of the few profitable Internet companies of its kind, so he has some credibility in the Motor City to go with his ambition.
But building thousands of cars is no simple or cheap task. Painter, who has backing from Japanese investment bank Softbank, is undaunted. He says a yet-to-be named auto supplier will provide the basic platform, or skeleton, of the vehicle, which BTO will stretch into four different models. An auto company will provide the powertrain, he says. He'll use off-the-shelf parts from auto suppliers. And he is negotiating with auto repair chains to provide warranty service. Painter has been coy about who will design the models, but says top names in the industry have been submitting sketches.
Painter says he is trying to seize upon what he saw at CarsDirect.com — people settling for cars because they can't get exactly what they want. "The auto industry is built to push vehicles they decide to build onto dealer lots," he says.
Painter's business plan is built on avoiding the enormous fixed costs of a big automaker, such as union contracts, factories, pensions and employee health care. General Motors, for example, has $1,000 per car in costs related to health care. GM officials say they have talked with Painter about working in the future to build low-volume, exotic cars, which the automaker can't do profitably on its own.
Instead of dealers, Painter is planning showroom-entertainment centers in a handful of major cities where he thinks his customers are, based on his CarsDirect.com experience: New York; San Francisco; Boston; Austin, Texas; Los Angeles; and a few others.
Jim Selwa, president of ASCI Marketing Services, which has signed on to help build the cars, says Painter's business plan makes sense, but it's not a slam-dunk.
"Building all the customization and personalization people want into the vehicles at the beginning increases the quality of that vehicle by a lot, instead of ripping factory-installed pieces out and replacing them in garages," he says. "The hurdle is selling what should be great-looking cars that aren't backed up by a big familiar name like GM or Ford."
Painter, in fact, has gotten himself a car name that's legendary. He has bought the rights to Auburn Cord Duesenberg, brands that were the cars to have in the 1930s.
But will the history-laden names mean anything to the monied 30- to 45-year-olds Painter sees as the heart of his customer base? "Using a name like Duesenberg for a small-volume car company could work," says Dennis Keene, a marketing and product-naming consultant. "But the cars themselves will have to be of impeccable quality and of extraordinary design."
ABOUT SCOTT PAINTER
--
Age: 33.
Education: Attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; graduated from University of California at Berkeley in economics.
Career: Founder of CarsDirect.com; started Scott's Auto Detailing Service at age 14.
Most influential figures: Michael Dell; his grandfather, Ed Swofford, former chairman of Aloha Airlines.
Most influential book: The West Point manual.
First car: 1979 Fiat Spyder 2000.
Education: Attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; graduated from University of California at Berkeley in economics.
Career: Founder of CarsDirect.com; started Scott's Auto Detailing Service at age 14.
Most influential figures: Michael Dell; his grandfather, Ed Swofford, former chairman of Aloha Airlines.
Most influential book: The West Point manual.
First car: 1979 Fiat Spyder 2000.
Footnote: PSALM 9:1-13
Footnote: AUTOMOBILE DESIGN LIABILITY, Third Edition. Richard M. Goodman and The Center for Auto Safety. Published, 1992/4. Product Code: ADL.
--
Cross Reference: ALISTAIRE COOKE, The Americans. July 1, 1977="The Money Game"
Footnote: TEAM MOTORIOUS FERRARI will re-emerge in Formula One next year. MOTORIOUS is replacing MARLBORO as the lead sponsor for the team. The Ferrari race team will become the "marketing arm" for the GLOBAL RETAIL NETWORK and the BRAND: Blue, LLC. The Chief Strategic Officer of NOKIA left to join ROYAL DUTCH SHELL in NIGERIA (sponsors for both Ferrari and Audi), leaving me, the "chief strategic officer" of Motorious, Inc., as the Chief Strategic officer of NOKIA.
NOKIA exclusively uses SIEMENS chips (*as now does Ericsson*) in its handsets (and SIEMENS chips are used for the electronic keys used for these vehicles, including those used by CADILLAC). SIEMENS, is the only company which has facilities on tthe MARCH AIR FORCE BASE in Riverside California.
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The Greendspeed Contract, with the GSA, including "environmental technologies", "mobile offices" and all of the vehicles purchased by the military, federal governent, state governement, local municipalities, mail trucks, UPS, Fed Ex and other trucks, as well as Police Cars, Taxis and Fire Trucks.
Footnote: Lieberman v. Templar[k] Motors, CONTRACT LAW, by Calimari & Perillo. The CASE LAW which underlies BREACH OF CONTRACT, and THE CONCEPT OF VALUE: Value as a Fixed Concept, Value as a Variable Concept. DAMAGES are determined by REVENUES and WEALTH CREATION LOST, and PUNITIVE DAMAGES are awarded (treble the judgement) in order to act as "a deterrent, to prevent others from engaging in the same behavior in the future"[zzz]
[k] Chapter 66, Foucault's Pendulum: "A Succession of Kings", "SANG REAL: The Blood of Christ". The Car As A Metaphor for Creation. The "Driver's Manual" and the "Angelic Hierarchy from the "Tree of Sefirot". The format of that "system of systems" mirrors the language in the PATENT APPLICATION: System and Method for Mass Customizing a Multi-Component Article. The term "dialectic" is used only once. The only other time I have ever heard that word used, is in Adolf Hitler's MEIN KAMPF, when he describes his enmity for Jews. And for the record, I've never read the book.
-- Apparently, to have the "engine in the rear" is "evil".
-- Supposedly, the "Agent of Change" is: THE GEAR BOX (Mobility Outfitters: Holland Michigan=VW Microbus, FIAT Multipla)
[zzz] DAMAGES: Black's Law Dictionary.
--
1. On July 1, 1999, Jacques Nasser was interviewed live by the BBC at Hockenheim, Germany. The transcript is available at www.beeb.com
1. On July 1, 1999: Eric Berry at SEMA drafted a letter of proposal to Integrated Concepts Vehciles, regarding the GLOBAL SURVEY on the Automotive Aftermarket. Part of the contract, was an EMBARGO of the DATA for 9 months after publication (from any other member of SEMA), in order to give ICV the time to solidify it's intellectual property position. Before releasing the data to other members, SEMA had agreed to:
a: release the RAW DATA to ICV, so that the company could perform its own analyses of the data. that deliverable never occurred[1]
b: reveal the contact information for all of the industry participants surveyed, in order to facilitate ICV's transfer of the technology system to the industry at large.
1. On July 1, 1999, Ford shut down GHIA STUDIOS in Turin, Italy.
1. On July 1, 1999, Ford divested itself of PIVCO: Th!nk Autombiles, in Finland: www.Stonesoft.com: ESA (*Section (f) Force Majeure of the IQGames.com contract*).
1. On July 1, 1999: Richard McCollough, of Lloyd's of London, issued TWO SURETY BONDS: One for $4 Million to Wole M. Fayemi and www.PumpNo8.com, for the "marketing" of the film DOOMSDAY'S KISS, and another one for $20 Million for the BUILDOUT of the FIRST RETAIL FACILITY.
[1] At the SEMA show in November, Jacques Nasser announced the creation of "Trade Exchange" later renamed COVISCINT, LLC in a joint venture between Ford & GM, which Chrysler later joined, and Mercedes left, after its split with Daimler-Chrysler. William Clay Ford announced a "technology joint venture" with SEMA, which is a direct BREACH of the agreement between SEMA and ICV.
[2] The Chairman of Daimler Chrysler was quoted in the Wall Street Journal, as having testified before a GRAND JURY, that he had "the original hand written notes" from the first patent notebook. DCX sued Auto-Lign (*pnome@myreparishop.com*), which subsequently went out of business.
[3] After an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal, about the losses Ford had incurred through Goldman Sachs: The purchase and then sale of QwikFit, a $1 Billlion trading loss when they attempted to "corner the market" on some "precious metal" used in catalytic converters (*somewhat ironic, since this engine doesn't burn gasoline, and won't need a catalytic converter or Lambda Sond, for emissions control*), William Clay Ford announced that Ford was "no longer pursuing its strategy to Finance the Automotive Aftermarket", which Jacques Nasser had announced at SEMA in 1999. The same day, on the same page, was an article about THE BLACKSTONE GROUP, which was "looking for it's 'next big deal'". That was the day, that I emailed MOTORIOUS' intention to SUE THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. That email was sent to the same "mass email list" that all the other emails went to, via the motorious@earthlink.net account.[000]
[000]There was an article in Harvard Busines Review, criticizing the "failure" of Coviscint, LLC, citing that the "proper business model" was one reflective of the SEMATECH venture, which was responsible for creating Intel, and the personal computer. There is NO CONNECTION between the SPECIAL PURPOSE VEHICLE created for the purposes of this consortium, and that which had created Intel many years ago. In fact, the structure is not even the same.
[111]The "Iron Man" of Model E, BTO: Built To Order, of George Li, was PLAGIARISM of the ICV power point presentation. On June 1, 2000, Ford made a presentation to the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, entitled: THE FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY, in which the "concluding slide" was about: THE RETAIL REVOLUTION. On June 1, 2000, ARIA GROUP and Motorious created the Midlands Parts Plan, a PERT CHART, for the rationalization of the parts used in the creation of the "MUV". Midlands, is the setting for the manufacture of the MINI: www.miniusa.com.
Cross Reference: Deadeye Dick., by Kurt Vonnegut "Midlands City".
---
NEOCON.COM: IntellivisionLives.com
--
LINDT & SPRUNGLI: The Ugly Duckling
CAR MAGAZINE UK: February 2006
Article: C3P0
Belgian Chocolate: sfinnigan10011@yahoo.com
WEEPING WILLOW: The Leprochaun
--
i was born: ROBERT "Beowulf Agate" LUDLUM, in Coppenhagen, at 11 AM EST, to Bodunrin Ayodeji Martins and Alfred Olusegun Fayemi, 8 months premature, weighing just 2 oz, and barely longer than the length of your finger.
my parents, recently married, and medical students at Hadassah University in Jerusalem, were just visiting friends, when my mother's water broke, and I was born PREMATURE: INCUBATOR "the boy in the bubble".
I was baptised in the CHURCH OF SAINT ANDREW: Saint Andrew's Cross (BMW Roundel: COSVAM_The Coalition of Small Volume Manufacturers) under the ANGLICAN COMMUNION, as: HANS CHRISTIAN GEORGE FRIEDRICH HANDEL ANDERSON, and was raised in the PALACE in COPENHAGEN, as if I were one of the royal family.
my brothers and cousins: COUNT WILHELM I of DENMARK="The Father In Law of Europe": THE CASE FOR KINGS, all treated me as if I were one of them, and was "adopted" by the HOUSE OF TUDOR in LUXEMBOURG, as my marriage was "arranged" to my adoptive sister: Lady Katherine Oxembourg of BELGIUM.
right from the beginning, i was unhappy, as many of my brothers and cousins teased me, and called me an "alien" from another planet. i immediately took on "pen names" and became PRINCE HAROLD: Harold & Maude, where i became fascinated with "assassination" and "suicide". As our family were bakers: GOLD MEDAL FLOUR, The Pilsbury Comapany and experts in COCOA and chocolate: Lindt & Sprungli, i invented, for the celebration of EASTER: White Chocolate (*so, i could eat easter bunnies of my brothers sisters and cousins, like they age chocolate bunnies which they said were me*). I was told that I was the "gray: UGLY DUCKLING" and that someday, I would grow up to become a beatuiful SWAN.
i was told, that i was the CROWNED PRINCE OF DENMARK, and as soon as I was well enough to travel (*age 3*) I was sent to Nigeria to meet my parents and siblings (my sister: Bamdele Omowumi Fayemi was born 1966.01.07 in Jerusalem, and my brother, Olutoyin Olugbenga, was born October 26, 1970 in Ibadan, Nigeria), where I took, on my third birthday, the photgraph connected to my VALENTINE'S DAY CARD collage: COINKIDINK(tm).
One of my brothers, who was my same age, was my "TWIN", and we would walk around Copenhagen telling everyone we were twins. It didn't matter to us that we weren't the same color, we didn't understand the notion of childbirth. To us, it was "immaculate conception".
For the first two years of my life, I did not speak, and my family thought I was either retarded "dumb" or "mute", but I was just learning many languages, and listened to all the taunts and teases I received from my siblings. I taught myself how to read by age 2, and by age 3, I was writing hundres of STORIES and POEMS and SONGS, about my family and my life, which eventually became COMIC BOOKS and CHILDREN'S BOOKS and 33 SINGLE VINYL: Deutsche Grammaphone, Bertelsmann Group.
My adoptive father, the KRONAR, was a "military genius: FAMILY GUY", and I, with my wild imagination, would draw pictures of wondrous inventions for the military and our automotive sports car companies, and eventually, these drawings became "toy cars" and "model airplanes" and "slot race kits".
I moved to America, and every Christmas: HESS OIL CHRISTMAS CARS, TRUCKS, MOTORCYCLES, HELICOPTERS, FIGHTER PLANES, I would receive toy versions of my inventions, and models, while the real company resided in the Netherlands, managed by my adoptive royal family: PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES.
Some of my siblings and cousins likewise moved to America, and starting at age 6 ("Adam"), 7 ("Hexel: Lambert"), 8 ("Donny Deutsche") and so on, they began "dating" me, and not telling me they were princes. From the beginning, I told everyone that I "don't like girls", and was "in love" with all of my brothers.
Now they think I don't remember them. The reality is, they don't remember me. I AM BEOWULF: HANS_CHRISTIAN ANDERSON.
GENERAL DYNAMICS: Rolls Royce-Saab Aviation
1. McDonnell Douglass
2. Lockheed Martin
3. Raytheon Defense Systems: HARRIER
--
[GAY.COM: Beowulf_Agate]|[SOCIAL NETWORK: Friendster.com]-->[MEMBER: Beowulf Agate]|[BOOKMARK: https://secure.delicious.com/register/tools]|[DELICIOUS: Secure.Delicious.Com]-->[PHOTO SHARE: http://www.flickr.com/][MEMBER: ADOLFO_The Dark Prince]
--
Star Alliance network is the global leading airline network, in terms of daily flights, destinations and countries flown to and amount of member airlines. It was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach and a smooth travel experience.
This section describes the Star Alliance member airlines, the organisation, its initiatives and campaigns: http://www.staralliance.com/en/contacts/
--
BMWGroup.com: http://ifilms-fx.com/About_us.html
03.03: Sir Philip Watts "stepped down...with immediate effect" as chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell, the world's third-biggest oil firm. http://www.tellshell.net/blog/SirPhilipWatts
Now attention of course focuses on: How did it happen? The job of chairman and chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange is important and should be well rewarded. But as was somewhere remarked, the NYSE is on the order of the Fulton Fish Market. People go there to sell and to buy. The person presiding over the transactions hasn't all that much to do that couldn't be done by a computer. To the extent that it is an honorary job, then it should be paid an honorary stipend, something on the order of what the Poet in Residence at the Library of Congress is paid.
Who authorized this gargantuan compensation?
That becomes truly interesting, because the people who did so, all of them men (and women) experienced in handling money, claim to have been unaware of the size of the loot. Most extraordinary here was Mr. Carl McCall, chairman of the Big Board's compensation committee, who was state comptroller and ran for governor of New York against Mr. Pataki. He says he was not aware of the total being paid to Grasso. He remembers only little clumps of money. He never stopped to add those clumps up to get the grand total. This is the gentleman who will serve as interim chairman of the NYSE until someone else is named, whose salary will be known not only to the former comptroller, but to the American people at large.
How does that money get generated? Well, by the members of the New York Stock Exchange. They exclusively finance the administration of the exchange and it can therefore be held that the privations incurred by paying $190 million are theirs alone, so what do we have to complain about?
There are two comments here. One of them practical, another, symbolic.
First, $190 million is not parthenogenetically created. Such money as the partners have to distribute is money held out from what stockholders pay when buying and selling. These are called transfer taxes, to be compared to sales taxes. When you buy a share, a commission is charged. One has to assume that such commissions would diminish in size as the overhead of the Exchange lessened. A case could be made that the salary paid to the chairman cost everyone who bought or sold a share, a penny. Or ten pennies.
The other aspect of the affair is the sheer smell it gives off. Critics of capitalism are always, forever, looking for scandalous behavior, and defenders of capitalism are always, forever, providing grist for their mill.
It can be argued that the manifestly successful chief executive of G.E. needed to be paid huge sums in order to prevent him from going elsewhere. That model isn't persuasively invoked in the matter of a stock exchange. There the work is administrative and — a special irony — had to do with governance standards.
In order for a petitioning corporation's shares to be traded on the NYSE, certain standards need to be met. The idea that the man principally responsible for the setting of those standards was being paid, this year, $1 million per month rather dilutes his credentials as a financial moralist.
The danger is always overreaction. There is nothing here that can't be adequately cleaned up by replacing Mr. Grasso, and perhaps Mr. McCall. We don't want a Sarbanes-Oxley bill which, trying to atone for Enron, complicates unnecessarily entrepreneurial life.
But the stock exchange has led with its chin, and we can hear the denunciations of what happened ringing from the rafters of the Democratic National Convention, just to begin with.
Carel van Bylandtlaan 16, 2596 HR The Hague, The Netherlands
PO box 162, 2501 AN The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel. +31 70 377 9111
PO box 162, 2501 AN The Hague, The Netherlands
Tel. +31 70 377 9111
--
Filename: KEEPING SCORE
SCHLUMBERGER: http://www.dawson3d.com/
INTELLIVISION: http://www.intellivisionlives.com/
TOWNSEND ANALYTICS: Sales@taltrade.com
MSHF: http://www.enterprise.com/fleets/IndustryLinks.action
P.O. Box 194
Novi, MI 48376-0194
P.O. Box 194
Novi, MI 48376-0194
MSHF.COM: Scott Painter
WATERCOLOR: AL FRESCO
Banca Privata Edmond de Rothschild Lugano S.A.
Via Ginevra 2 - CP5882
6901 Lugano
Suisse
Tel: + 41 91 913 45 00 + 41 91 913 45 00
Fax: + 41 91 913 45 01
Email: info@privata.ch
Web: http://www.privata.ch
Via Ginevra 2 - CP5882
6901 Lugano
Suisse
Tel: + 41 91 913 45 00 + 41 91 913 45 00
Fax: + 41 91 913 45 01
Email: info@privata.ch
Web: http://www.privata.ch
QQQQ: The Fast Company 50
BUSINESS2.0: http://www.redherring.com/
SHELL TRANSPORT & TRADING: Walter van de Vijver
DINO: Sir Philip Watts
--
INTELLIVISION PRODUCTIONS, INC.
1104 HIGHLAND AVENUE SUITE L
MANHATTAN BEACH CA 90266
1104 HIGHLAND AVENUE SUITE L
MANHATTAN BEACH CA 90266
THE ARCHIVES BUILDING: http://www.intellivisionlives.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=36
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL, INC
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
508 West Wall Suite 800
Midland, TX 79701
Phone: 432-684-3000
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 432-684-3030
Email: info@dawson3d.com
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
508 West Wall Suite 800
Midland, TX 79701
Phone: 432-684-3000
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 432-684-3030
Email: info@dawson3d.com
Houston, TX
10200 Richmond Suite 120
Houston, TX 77042
Phone: 713-917-6772
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 713-971-6773
10200 Richmond Suite 120
Houston, TX 77042
Phone: 713-917-6772
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 713-971-6773
Fort Worth, TX
201 Main St Suite 600
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: 817-870-2236
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
201 Main St Suite 600
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Phone: 817-870-2236
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Oklahoma City, OK
6301 N. Western Ave Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405-848-7512
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 405-848-7533
6301 N. Western Ave Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405-848-7512
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 405-848-7533
Denver, CO
6855 South Havana Street Suite 560
Centennial, CO 80112
Phone: 303-723-0440
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 303-723-0439
6855 South Havana Street Suite 560
Centennial, CO 80112
Phone: 303-723-0440
Toll Free: 800-332-9766
Fax: 303-723-0439
New Hudson, MI
30031 Research Dr
New Hudson, MI 48165
Phone: 248-446-9533
Toll Free: 877-446-9533
Fax: 248-446-9554
30031 Research Dr
New Hudson, MI 48165
Phone: 248-446-9533
Toll Free: 877-446-9533
Fax: 248-446-9554
--
BOXSTER REVOLUTION: Karman Ghia
--
RUFAUTOCENTRE.COM
METROPOLIS: http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/
ISSN: 0279-4977
Copyright (c) 2009 Bellerophon Publications, Inc.
61 W.23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
212. 627. 9977
212. 627. 9988
Subscription Agreement: 800. 344. 3046
--
Title: Uprising
Length: 12:27
Release date: 2009
Record Label: Warner Brothers
Catalogue Number: WEA458CD
![]()
Copyright iFilms LLC, Texas, USA: This web site and its content are subject to international copyright laws. Images, text, movie files may not be distributed to third parties or used elsewhere without the permission of iFilms LLC.
--
--
Wole M.Fayemi
President, Integrated Concepts Vehicles, LLC
Managing Partner, Accelerated Sciences, LLC
President, Integrated Concepts Vehicles, LLC
Managing Partner, Accelerated Sciences, LLC
In that case, it is obliged to provide the number to you. Author is an expert of trust a tax id, go here for more interesting information.
ReplyDeleteNice blog and absolutely outstanding. You can do something much better but i still say this perfect.Keep trying for the best. best ein number service
ReplyDeleteEIN Service Help best way to findout ein help in america with best customer support
ReplyDelete