Insurance Company Scams, Fraud and Rip Offs in Settling Pedestrian, Bicycle, Car and Motorcycle Accidental Injury and Death Accidents Explained By An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney for Brawley

Insurance Company Scams, Fraud and Rip Offs in Settling Pedestrian, Bicycle, Car and Motorcycle Accidental Injury and Death Accidents Explained By An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney for Brawley

As a Pedestrian, Car, Bicycle & Motorcycle Injury & Death Accident Attorney for Brawley, one has to ask just how much profit insurance companies need to make to be satisfied. The answer, when one examines the scams, fraud and rip offs they are perpetrating today in settling personal injury accident and wrongful death claims, it appears that there is no limit to their greed.

When you get into an accident today, whether it’s your fault or someone else’s, either you or the persons you injure as a pedestrian, on a bicycle, in a car or on a motorcycle are more than likely going to be forced to deal with an insurance company that is determined to offer as little money as possible to settle any injury claims.

If you are the person who has been injured in the bicycle, pedestrian, car or motorcycle accident or if you’ve lost a loved one, the worst thing you can do today is to try to settle your claim with the insurance company yourself. While insurance companies consider lawyers to be annoyances, they consider you to be a nuisance and will usually offer you only what they consider to be a “nuisance value settlement.” Once they have the mind set that your case can be settled for such a paltry amount, an attorney’s involvement will not change matters.

Your insurance company will be offering you or the other driver only a portion of the medical bills and a small amount for pain and suffering. If you or they have an attorney, the attorney will have to prevail on the medical providers to slash their medical bills by 1/3 to one half in order to have sufficient money left over for any attorney fees for their time and effort and the frustration of dealing with an insurance company today and to put any money into your pocket or the pocket of the persons injured in the accident.

If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at (800) 589-3202 or e-mail us at our website, www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com If we are contacted early on in a case, we can prepare your case as if we are going to trial. Even though trials today are rare, unfortunately, it is only by preparing your case in such a manner, that an attorney today can obtain the type of settlement you deserve.

As badly as insurance companies treat the people they insure, they treat others even worse. Why should you care about the person you’ve injured? First, it’s the right thing to be concerned about someone you hurt. Second, you shouldn’t be causing them to be frustrated again when they have to deal with your insurance company. And third, when your insurance company tries to stiff them by paying them less than the amount of their medical bills and a reasonable amount for pain and suffering, much less any attorneys’ fees so they can have an attorney deal with your insurance company, they risk making the injured party sue you in order to obtain what is fair and reasonable.

As a result of the determination by liability insurance companies to make as much money as they can for their shareholders and executives, the person or persons who have been injured in the accident, whether those persons are the individuals in your vehicle or the other persons hurt by your vehicle, they will, without an experienced attorney, be forced to accept a paltry amount. Their doctor bills or your doctor bills will have to be slashed (of if there is medical insurance, the right of the medical insurance company to reimbursement will have to be significantly reduced) and your lawyer may have to reduce his or her fees as well or face the expensive alternative of filing suit.

The cause of this entire process is nothing short of a scam, a fraud and a rip off by certain liability insurers who claim on television to be your best friend and who, when you need them most, or when the person you hit needs them most, turn into greedy monsters who refuse to pay more than a paltry amount and who risk having you sued by any person that you injure.

We’ve been handling personal injury cases for over 30 years and the climate in dealing with insurance companies has never been worse. While we’ve settled cases exceeding one million dollars on a number of occasions, it’s the smaller soft tissue cases where a person has significant pain but doesn’t fracture a bone or require surgery that an extremely experienced attorney can be needed even more to obtain a good settlement. Having represented insurance companies (until we saw the tactics they use to take advantage of people) we know how to deal with these companies and have been very successful in obtaining millions and millions of dollars for our clients over the years.

If you want to obtain what you’re entitled to for your claim, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson today at (800) 589-3202 or e-mail us at our web site, www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com

Video: Sylvie van der Vaart isi flutura pletele in noul BMW Serie 3 Cabrio

BMW si-a inaugurat in stil mare noul tunel aerodinamic: modelul (care mai este si actrita si prezentatoare TV) Sylvie van der Vaart a fost invitata la o sedinta foto si video.

De fapt, producatorul bavarez a efectuat un mic experiment prin care a dorit sa demonstreze evolutia masinilor sale decapotabile. Astfel, Sylvie a fost asezata mai intai…

Vezi filmul cu faimosul model la volanul unui BMW Serie 3 Cabrio pe auto.ro.

The Hulk of Supermini's

The Mazda2 has it all: looks, comfort, practicality, driving dynamics and environmental credentials. First and foremost, the Mazda2 is fun to drive with a stylish, sporty body shape on the outside and a passionate soul with gentle curves on the inside. It’s also an incredibly light and agile car and makes for a more nimble drive. There is less of a hit on the wallet when you’re filling up. It also means lower CO2 emissions which is good for everyone.

Are you green with envy yet?!

Whatever your preference 3dr or 5dr, petrol or diesel, blue, black or red you even get the opportunity to customise your own car and add on a wide array of special little features.

Lovers of the older version of the Mazda 2 in Bootle are lapping up this Hulk of a supermini. It’s not hard to see why – it’s a beautiful car – but the green is not my favourite colour.

Lotussia Travel Vietnam launches specialist travel website about car rental

October 28, 2009 (Hanoi) — Lotussia Travel has recently launched a new specialist website about car rental, car hire in Vietnam – www.vietnamcarhire.com.

Car rental in Vietnam is relatively inexpensive and considered to be convenient.  However, travelers who are unused to foreign travel should be aware that, in general, renting a car in Vietnam means renting a driver with the car. The driver also knows where to stop for meal and bathroom breaks on the way. This is standard procedure and should be considered a good method of getting around and getting information about the area at the same time.

www.vietnamcarhire.com offers both travelers and business customers the full spectrum of car rental, airport pickup, car leasing in all major cities of Vietnam. Besides the latest range of compact, mid to large size, sports and luxury vehicles from popular brands such as Mercedes Benz, Toyota, Audi and many others, a professionally trained and experienced English speaking local driver will also be included as part of the car hire.

www.vietnamcarhire.com is comprised of four major categories including travel news, airport pickup service, car rental and useful travel related information on Vietnam. All these categories are well designed and smartly arranged making search quite easy and convenient.

“www.vietnamcarhire.com provides the most completed information about car rental, car hire and land transport in vietnam. We believe this site will be soon appreciated by both travelers and business customers coming in Vietnam. Above anything else, we are proud of our drivers. They provide discreet, professional and friendly service and are trained to drive safely and comfortably on Vietnam’s challenging roads. ” – Said Nguyen Khuong, the CEO of Lotussia Travel.

Lotussia Travel is a privately owned travel company offering a wide selection of easy adventure tour an value-for-money service such as trekking, cycling, kayaking, hotel reservations, car rental and more. The company was established in 2005 having offices and branches in Hanoi, Sapa, Danang and Ho Chi Minh city.

Podcasts, I love them...

I absolutely love podcasts.  I have found that I listen to podcasts more than XM, regular radio, or simple music.  The information out there is mind blowing.  Having a heavily filled cue of podcasts insures that my drive-time, or run time goes by without any boredom.  Here are some of the podcasts that I am currently subscribed too:

• Bill O’Reilly’s Talking Points
• NPR Story of the Day
• This American Life
• Wall Street Journal Small Business
• The Dave Ramsey Show
• 48 Days to the Work you Love
• Marketing over coffee
• Startup Nation
• SEO 101
• Stuff you should know
• TechStuff
• Various podcasts about the show Lost
• TWIP Photo
• Nikonians Podcast
• Martin Bailey Photography Podcast
• Small Business Marketing by Duct Tape Marketing

I know, it is a diverse list to say the least.  I would love to hear about any other good podcasts that I should be listening to.

I79 fatal accident leads to jail time for truck driver

A tractor-trailer driver was sentenced to six to twenty-two months in prison for a fatal accident near Kirby on Interstate 79.  Two men were killed when the tractor-trailer crashed into a pickup truck occupied by the men.  For more information on this accident, see the Post Gazette article covering the story.

This case demonstrates the many implications of an accident.  Two men are dead and lost to their families while another man goes to jail for causing the accident.  For more information on accident cases, please visit my Beaver County Accident Attorney website.

Bay Bridge closed after rod snaps, cars hit

Copied directly from: San Francisco Chronicle

Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Authorities said they are shutting down the Bay Bridge in both directions after pieces of the cantilever section fell during the late-afternoon commute, striking three vehicles on the upper deck, the California Highway Patrol said.

Caltrans officials said the parts that fell were two high-strength rods and a saddle that were part of the emergency repair that delayed the opening of the bridge on Labor Day weekend.

Westbound traffic on the Bay Bridge had been crawling through two open lanes as officials assessed damage to the bridge. Caltrans officials earlier had shut down three lanes on the upper as they assessed the damage.

CHP Officer Peter Van Eckhardt said the parts of the span’s overhead steel support structure fell around 5:30 p.m. Eckhardt said the passengers in one vehicle hit by the falling debris were shaken up but not injured.

A chunk of steel lay in the middle of the far left lane of the upper deck and an object that appeared to be a cable was on a Ryder truck dangling from the side of the span.

Authorities have not said how long the closure will last.

 

Little Tikes Road Rage

Today Rex-Goliath and I were doing jokes and assaulting each other for a bit in the afternoon. At one point he was coming at me full bore in his Little Tikes car and after he rammed into me I punched it (the car, not Rex-Goliath) in the face. (these cars have faces)

He became irate and angrily got out of his car, came around the front and started hollering at me, while looking inquisitively at the front of his car to see what kind of damage I had done. There was a little scratch on the bottom (not from me) that he pointed at accusingly. I could tell he was disgusted with me, and I laughed and I laughed.

My little guy, the angry driver.

Speed Seminar-The Event

I’ve just got back from attending the dreaded Speed Seminar which I’ve been waiting to go to for weeks. I got caught speeding a couple of months ago, I thought I was doing 35 in a 40 zone, my mistake I wasn’t, I was doing 35 in a 30 zone. I was given the option to either pay a fine of £60 and three points on my licence, or pay £75 attend said seminar and receive no points. After careful consideration, I decided to go with the seminar. I went to bed early as I had to get to the place where the seminar was being held for 8.30 this morning, and it was 24 miles from my home and I had only a vague idea where to go. However I couldn’t sleep, despite trying to go to sleep at 10, I was still awake at 3am. Finally nodding off, I awoke at 6am and got ready.  The adrenaline of trying not to fall back asleep kept me awake and I was soon in my car, small map to the location, provided by the police, in my hand. After taking one wrong turn I found the place by accident, the map being no use at all, well, very little use anyway. As I had set off so early I arrived over an hour before I needed to, luckily I’d packed a book for such an eventuality. At 8.20 I went to join my fellow speeders waiting at the entrance to the building. We were ‘collected’ and shown into a room where we handed over our driver’s licenses so they could be checked. After being shown into another room it began. One woman started talking and presented her session, then a retired police officer took over, then the woman took over again for the final session. I have to say I think the 4 hours it took was far too long, it wasn’t so much a case of being educated about speeding as being ’bored into submission’ which I was.  After a bit a video was put on of two sisters talking about their mother who had been killed in a road accident, then I felt guilty. Even though my speeding was accidental I, along with everybody else, was assured that our reasons were no excuse.The old length of two and half hours would’ve been more than adequate. The best bit of the seminar was hearing from an old lady who’d been caught speeding. She said she’d been stressed and had been going to see her friend ‘Betty’. I never found out if Betty was the cause of the stress or not. A man on my table had been caught speeding again since electing to come to the seminar. The retired officer told him he’d most likely now be prosecuted.  After the allotted time and a 20p cup of hot chocolate I staggered out into daylight and got into my car with my workbook and a copy of the Highway Code, which I shall cherish always. Thanks for reading.

Natural Gas Vehicles have strong market performance

Natural Gas Vehicles report ( http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Natural-Gas-Vehicles.html ) provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges to NGV light-duty cars, trucks, and medium/heavy duty trucks. The report includes a comprehensive assessment of compressed and liquefied natural gas (CNG/LNG) vehicle technologies, including tanks and engine modifications. It also examines key drivers of market growth by fleet customers as well as private consumers. Detailed forecasts are provided for the global vehicle market, global NGV fleet and private consumer sales, NGV refueling stations, and NGV sales by vehicle segments. Key market players are also profiled.

Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas: Cars, Light Trucks, and Medium/Heavy Duty Trucks

Natural Gas Vehicle technology is widely available and has been available for purchase in most regions of the world for decades. Governments, fleet managers, and private consumers are recognizing the environmental benefits of lower emissions from NGVs. However, lack of refueling infrastructure has caused NGV demand to stagnate in many countries. In regions where NGVs have strong market performance, adoption is largely due to a combination of inexpensive natural gas, a large number of existing refueling stations, and government subsidies of vehicles, fuel, and infrastructure.

Our assessment of the NGV market points to strong growth in regions where the infrastructure is already supported, which include parts of Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. It anticipates growing acceptance of NGVs as governments approve climate change treaties and energy security legislation. These factors will contribute to NGV sales growth of 5.5% annually by 2015, though some regions will see growth stunted by greater political support for other transportation alternatives such as electric vehicles, clean diesels, and biofuels.

Key questions addressed:

* What vehicle segments are available as NGVs?
* What is the outlook for NGV growth within vehicle segments?
* What are the key storage tank and engine technologies used in NGVs?
* How many NGV refueling stations are there?
* How big are NGV markets and how large are these markets expected to grow?
* What are the key drivers of growth in the NGV market?
* Who are the key industry players in the NGV market?

Who needs this report?

* OEM Vehicle Marketing Managers
* NGV Conversion/Upfitter Companies
* Vehicle Component Suppliers
* Storage Tank Manufacturers
* Natural Gas Mining Companies
* Natural Gas Utilities
* Natural Gas Pipeline and/or Shipping Companies
* Biogas (Landfill Gas) Producers
* Government Environmental Agencies
* Government Transportation Agencies
* Environmental Transportation Advocacy Groups
* Vehicle Trade Associations
* Investor Community
 
To know more and to buy a copy of your report feel free to visit : http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Natural-Gas-Vehicles.html

Or

Contact us at :
 
Bharat Book Bureau
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Music, Lyrics & Soul Singing

This won’t be long because I really do need to go to bed.  But I’ve been thinking about music a lot this weekend and thought I’d share some of those thoughts here.

Yesterday I had my first road trip.  I somehow convinced my parents to let me drive three and a half hours away less than a full month after getting my driver’s license.  My friend, Sarah, joined me.  That and my lovely age of 19 1/2 probably had something to do with the permission that was granted.  Anyway, my car has sync capabilities, so I plugged my i-pod in and we set off.

Since I’ve been driving more, I’ve been singing more.  To me there’s just something about being alone in a car and singing.  Having Sarah in the car with me was a bit interesting at first… I don’t really sing around people.  Actually, there are probably very few who have ever really heard me sing.  That one area that I’ve never gotten over my shyness in.   So the way to Lafayette, Indiana was filled with music and me mouthing or mumbling the words as I drove.

Then we hit Lafayette and were able to see Jared Camp and Shawn McDonald play live.  Jared has some great songs that were soothing to listen to.  His voice is one that you can soak up with a cup of hot chocolate and feel connected, like a part of a community.  (And that’s what I did… the show was in a coffee shop called Sacred Grounds.)  Shawn came on after Jared and he was phenomenal live.  I’ve listened to his music since he first came on the scene (back in 2004?!).  His songs are full of everything.  What I mean by that is he has songs for when you’re happy, songs for when you’re unsure, songs for when you’re in love, songs for when you’re desperate for God, and songs for when you just want to sing.  Singing along to such soul-stirring music and hearing the violinist play alongside a single acoustic guitar was incredible.

On the way to my aunt’s house from the concert, I sang with Sarah.  We bounced around from The Afters to Jars of Clay to Eisley to Stacie Orrico to the Backstreet Boys to Bethany Dillon.  And it was wonderful.  It was fun.  At times it was moving.  But it made me feel connected… to Sarah, as a friend, and to God as we drove underneath a bright moon among Indiana cornfields.

Today I drove Sarah and I back to Kentucky.  My i-pod was plugged in the entire trip.  Again, I sang.  It was harder for me to do it in the light… I think it’s having people able to see me that trips me up.  But I let myself sing anyway.  There’s a therapeutic notion to singing, I think.  And discovering that in such a real way this weekend has been wonderful.

Tomorrow night I will be seeing Eisley play in Covington.  I’m really excited to hear music that’s so inspirational to me.  I was told just today that I’m one of the most concert-going people that my aunt Emily knows.  I take that as a compliment.  There’s just something about music… and I want to experience as much music as I can in my life.

Feel free to leave me your thoughts on music, singing, etc.  And if you feel so inclined, leave me a musician or two to look into.

Everybody Loves a Winner

It’s true: no one truly enjoys a loser (even your mom when she acts like you’ll do better next time). I’m serious. Everyone Loves a Winner.

Mind-blowin' graphics of '96

This week, I witnessed it first hand. With due appreciation for Blues News reporting that Remedy Entertainment has free-released their 1996 hit, Death Rally, I was praised by my peers for my driving prowess and ultimately shunned for my losing streak. This top-down racer pits you against three other drivers equipped with machine guns, mines, spiked bumpers and boosts. All this and I still rose to the top. After about 7 races, I had enough cash to purchase not the next best car, but two cars up from my default Vagabond.

A couple of guys took notice of what I was doing and suddenly I had them asking me to play again so they could watch as I battled for first place against the likes of NPCs Greg Peck and Cher Stone. As any game designer would tell you, keeping your audience involved is key, so I would ask the guys what upgrades I should purchase with my winnings. Suddenly, my “team” really felt like we were all accomplishing something great.  And weren’t we? We were having incredibly humorous discussions about races in a game that is 13-years old! 

Then I bought the Wraith.

Fully Upgraded, Bro

The Wraith looks like a Porsche 911 for all intents and purposes and is pretty fast. Without at least 3 tire upgrades, I couldn’t seem to handle the turns and my winning streak was shattered. The races were still interesting, but I knew I was underperforming. I took some time to win some easier races and upgrade my Wraith all the way. The “team” came back to see how I was faring and quickly got back into the action as I won a few races.

With their encouragement, I stepped it up to the hard races in order to win the big prizes of $12K for 1st place. Sadly, I was left behind, duking it out for 3rd place against some other poser NPC who, like me, should’ve known better than to enter this level of racing.

The end result is the guys lost interest in watching me get scorched from the starting line and struggling to return to my former glory. They moved on and left me cold and shivering in the shadows of the top four racers (including Duke Nukem, that bastard).

TGIF

We had a crazy warm day yesterday. It was so nice out!

I was reasonably productive at work. I test drove 2 cars at lunch time. I didn’t like either. Tom has not had luck at auction finding the one that I want with low miles and a low price.  I’m not in a huge rush, so need to remember to stay patient.

The boys and I met our across-the-street neighbors last night- the Vietnamese family. They were really friendly, but my Vietnamese is very shaky. I am a somewhat awkward speaker and it takes me time to form my sentences. I feel very self conscious that I will somehow offend people when I’m talking. Hopefully I didn’t say anything outlandish or rude and they will want to be friends with me.

It was so warm that the boys got to play outside and we ate dinner in the back yard. They were happy to run around and I was happy to let them get out some energy before bed.

I’m really happy that Friday is finally here.

Video: How To Choose The Best Tires

Source: “Video: How to choose the best tires”

At a glance, all tires look alike. They are black, round, and ringed with tread patterns. But there are significant differences in how they perform and how they wear. Since tires are the only part of the car that touches the road, it is crucial that you make a smart, informed decision about what tire is right for you. And we can help.

As demonstrated in this tire buying video, Consumer Reports runs a comprehensive, year-round tire testing program to ensure it can deliver the advice and ratings you need. To evaluate all aspects of a tire, we put it through a number of objective and subjective tests in the most comprehensive tire-test program of any American magazine or Web site.

We test braking and lateral grip on dry and wet surfaces, handling in our emergency-avoidance maneuver, and hydroplaning resistance, which measures how well a tire maintains contact with the road in standing water. We evaluate how easily a tire can accelerate on moderately packed snow and we rent a local skating rink to test braking on ice. Outside labs evaluate tread life and rolling resistance which is a function fuel efficiency . To ensure consistency, we buy each tire model in the same size and mount them on the same test cars.

Check out our video to see the details on how we conduct these tests. Then see our car, SUV and truck, and winter tire ratings (available to subscribers) to find the models that score well in the areas that matter most to you. All site visitors can access our free buying advice for tips on getting started, types of tires we test, features that are important in making a tire purchase, and general tire care. Also, be sure to check out our TireTalk forum to interact with our tire engineers and other drivers.

—Liza Barth“

(Via Consumer Reports Cars Blog.)

2009 Tokyo Motor Show - Toyota LF-A

Lexus LF-A

Big news in the auto industry from the “Land of the Rising Sun.” Toyota has unveiled the production version of their long awaited supercar from their Lexus brand called the LF-A. The LF-A is powered by a high-revving 4.8-litre V-10 that cranks around 552bhp at 8700rpm and 354 lb-ft at 6800rpm. It takes 3.7 seconds to reach the 62mph mark – 0.2 more than the famed Nissan GT-R. Did I mention high revving? It’s capable of up to 9000rpm, and according to Chris Chilton of CAR Magazine the “noise” is incredible.

Disappointments? There are some big disappointments. First off, Toyota opted not to go with a dual-clutch system that is popular in many of today’s high-end performance cars (VW has them in some mass consumer cars even!). It’s been several years since dual-clutch systems have been around and there is no argument that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Another disappointment is that for all the aluminum and carbon fibre that was used in the car it is still porkier than one would expect weighing in at 1480kg. My personal disappointment of the LF-A is the interior trim of the car. Yes it looks definitely like the high materials that Lexus uses in their cars, but that’s about it. Don’t get me wrong Lexus is high quality, but for a supercar I’m expecting something different – something exotic. The biggest disappointment? The cost. So I personally was never a prospective buyer from a financial standpoint, but at £325,000 the price scares even the rich. Even Toyota acknowledged they would be losing money on everyone sold…

And that’s the problem, Toyota has touted the LF-A to compete against Ferrari and Lamborghini but it only competes with them in price. Ferrari’s new 458 and McLaren’s MP4-12C are nearly half the price of the LF-A. In fact it doesn’t even seem to compete against Porsche or even Nissan’s spectacular GT-R. If I had the money, LF-A would be on the short list.

Not convinced? CAR Magazine agree with me. Car & Drive disagree with me. You decide.

How to remove minor paint scratches

Look at the image, these scratches on the trunk were made by the bushes.
It’s not a big problem, but…
I will remove these scratches in two steps:
First, I use polishing compound to polish the scratches. It contains mild abrasive and removes very thin coat of painting. When you will shop for this kind of product, there are few grades available. You need the one that contains the finest abrasive.

I put a little amount of polishing compound onto a damp sponge and buff the scratched area in a circular motion until scratches disappear. But don’t overdo it. I’d suggest trying a small area first, to get used to the process. Then I wash off the area completely.

Now it’s time to use a liquid wax. I squeeze a little amount of wax onto a sponge and spread evenly on the scratched area. I wait a little allowing product to haze, then, using a soft towel, I buff the wax. Now you see the result.

Cars as Animals...Grrr??

"we're sturdy and reliable - thats all that matters"

I was thinking the other day why cars have names like Kuga, Jaguar, Puma and Panda, and in fact to my surprise there have been well over 40 cars named after animals. When you think about it, you struggle to understand why – what features, qualities they must have to be considered the name of Panda for example…

I mean lets study the animal for a moment. They are large, heavy yet they like climbing trees and their colour is somewhat unusual. When you assess the car Fiat Panda, Kent lovers who drive them look more like pandas than the car itself, but should we judge the label of the car after the name? It car isn’t exactly slender; it’s more boxy and large. When looking at the jaguar for example, firstly it is a saloon car, so it’s long in the body, it has soft lines to make it as aero-dynamic as possible and its fast (makes sense) but of all designs, a panda really? I can see the cute factor but, when you want the Grrr in an car… you think fast, aggressive and agile not tubby, round and heavy. Nevertheless the Fiat Panda is a lovely little car and is a big fan with Sunday drivers.

I do see a resemblence to the wild version...

Nissan gives second-life to batteries

Tokyo, Japan – Nissan Motor Company has announced that, with partner Sumitomo Corporation, it will initiate a business venture that will give “second life” to used lithium-ion car batteries as energy storage solutions in markets worldwide.

The “Reuse, Resell, Refabricate and Recycle” business model is designed to capitalize on the supply of reusable lithium-ion batteries as electric cars gain widespread marketplace acceptance. There is currently no existing supply of large-capacity reusable batteries, but by 2010, the demand for “second-life” batteries is Japan is expected to reach the equivalent of a minimum of 50,000 electric cars per year as demand grows for an increasing range of energy storage solutions.

“We recognize Nissan’s unique responsibility as the first company in the world to commit to delivering affordable zero-emission mobility,” said Toshiyuki Shiga, Nissan COO. “Consumers are excited by the promise of all-electric, zero-emission cars, but they also want assurances that lithium-ion batteries can be reused and recycled. In fact, our batteries are not only reusable, they also contribute as a solution to energy storage.”

Even after the end of normal vehicle life, the high-performance lithium-ion batteries Nissan uses will retain 70 to 80 per cent of residual capacity, and can be reused and resold to various industries.

The agreement establishes a framework for a new joint venture company, which is expected to be operational by late 2010 in Japan and the United States. In Europe, Nissan will explore the business model with Alliance partner Renault.

By 2020, second-life batteries are expected to be in high demand in Japan for applications such as energy storage with photovoltaic solar panels, backup power supplies, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), load leveling for the electricity grid, and leveling of energy from both photovoltaic solar and wind power.

“This direct management of the battery’s entire value chain is important to ensure that our (electric vehicle) customers do not bear the cost of the battery,” said Hideaki Watanbe, head of Nissan’s zero emission business unit. “Nissan is exploring several options, including Laptop battery lease or credit model based on a monthly payment scheme. With this proposition, the total running cost, which equals the monthly battery payment plus the cost to charge the battery, is comparable to the cost to refuel a similar gasoline-powered car. Ultimately, this is a compelling economic proposition for a zero-emission car that meets all your driving needs.”

weekend recap

friday:

• friday night lights: a football game at fairfax high (go lions!). i was super excited to go to a game, which we’ve been wanting to do since last season. i was a little bummed that the weather was still so hot, because to me football games mean sweaters, jeans, boots and hot chocolate! I still wore a light sweater, jeans, and boots, but george wore a tshirt, shorts, and flipflops. I almost made him change. anyway, the game was a really good time, especially seeing the marching band, hehe. in the 4th quarter there was suddenly a commotion at the top of the stands and practically a stampede to get away. it turns out a girl was pepper sprayed (still unclear why?), and a lot of confusion ensued as someone tried to get her out of the stands to recover. the most disturbing part about the whole thing was that an ambulance or police didn’t really show up to help for at least 30 minutes. the poor girl puked on the side of the football field (?) with people doing what they could, just waiting for someone with authority to show up. we were stunned that there wasn’t already an ambulance on site- what if something more serious had happened?
• afterwards we hit up mr. pizza, randomly recommended from a park ranger on our last camping trip. it was pretty good, but the search is still on for an excellent pizza joint in LA.

saturday:

• got up early and took the car to the honda dealer for an airbag recall, oil change, and tire rotation (no car for a day, gasp!).
• bussed it back home and got a domo slurpee from 7-11! george made quinoa scrambles and we hung out and watched some football. of course we were stuck with the ucla-cal game instead of penn state, but I caught a few glimpses of the snowy ‘whiteout’ in state college in the highlights. can’t believe it actually snowed enough to shut down some tailgating fields.
• almost finished my bolero during the usc-notre dame game… weaving in all the ends might take some time after I actually finish the knitting part though- I think I used almost 7 balls of yarn.
• dodged the honda dealers “well you really should replace your….” call, and went to pick up the car.
• waited for it to cool down before my 5k run/walk- still improving.
• made a sweet potato + apple bake with a soy-honey sauce. the sweet potatoes really soaked up the flavor, which alone was a little overwhelming, but with a bite of pork really worked.
• went to see where the wild things are at arclight, a pretty fantastic movie all around. james gandolfini was perfectly cast as the voice of carol, once you got over the fact that tony soprano was a wild thing, of course! i definitely agree with the critique that smaller children might find it a little scary, which is kind of a bummer since we all know its possible to successfully make a kid-and-adult friendly movie (ahem, pixar). one of the critics on rotten tomatoes said “this is a movie for adults who used to be kids,” which in the end is pretty accurate. despite that, it was a beautiful, touching movie that really brings you back to living room forts.

sunday:

• jackie and i went to the hollywood farmers market (since the weho one was canceled for the aids walk), which is always pretty hectic. finds of the week are probably squash, big juicy pears, and kettle corn.
• gave shana the thumbs up on her lovely seating chart presentations for her wedding next weekend! hooray!
• random errands and trader joes. bought a new tiny jade plant!
• the rest of the day was spent apartment cleaning, smoothie making, and photo editing. finally posted my photos from amy’s wedding here.

Convergence for cars

Ask anybody – if they could have 1 unconventional addition to their car, what it would be? Some might say, microwave to eat hot on the go. Ladies might say storage space for make-up and clothes, surfers may say surf-rack & dryer for their wet stuff, even PC geeks might choose a built-in computer…but no the clowns have asked for and got …a TRAMPOLINE!! You want a pimped–up ride for you and your homies or hoes?! Then get a trampoline for yours and their amusement.

Pimp my ride should take notes!

When comparing this to the new Honda Legend in Maidstone for example, the one on the ramps showcased for all to see, it does make you wonder what you’re getting for your money and what unique additions you can put in it. Head to Japan and they accompany your dog at standard including kennel, bed area and ramp – aww bless!

iPhone como control remoto.... de un auto!

En Alemania, un grupo de científicos de la Berlin’s Free University están desarrollando desde el 2007 una aplicación para iPhone OS que permite controlar un automóvil a distancia. Gracias a diferentes tecnologías, wi-fi, GPS, sensores láser 3D, cámaras de video y un sistema de conducción por cables (que permiten presionar los pedales y girar el volante), es posible comandar un auto con suma facilidad. Aprovechando el acelerómetro del iPhone podemos hacer girar el volante y así direccionar el vehículo. Uno de los puntos más interestantes, es que podemos ver en la pantalla de iPhone hacia dónde se dirige el auto gracias la cámara colocada al frente del mismo. Muy James Bond no?…

Los desarrolladores de esta interesante aplicación llamada “iDrive” tienen una web explicando los avances del proyecto, pueden revisarla aquí.

Via: TUAW

My hearts been broken again

On my way to work this morning I noticed an odd bumper sticker on the car idling in front of me at the red light.  It said “I better get laid soon or I’m going to hurt somebody” 

Well then.  I’m not one to cheat on my wife but if I can help avoid blood shed from lack of someone’s sexual needs being met I will do what I have to do.  Although I couldn’t see if it was a male or female in the driver’s seat I blew them kisses when they looked up.  Gender be damned.  Lives were on the line people.  Honking the horn is a great way to get someone’s attentions when your sending a little love their way. 

Now I know just air mailing a kiss doesn’t count as getting laid as their bumper put it but hopefully this act of lust will satisfy their urges enough for a little while so the don’t go postal.  Who know.  I might have just saved some innocent people.  No need to thank me.

And to let the possible future sex starved brawler in the Honda in front of me know there was still passion in our now ten second old romance I mouthed the words “I LOVE YOU” then licked my lips for an extra “MMMmmmmmm” factor.  Most people wouldn’t go that far.  I do……because I care.

Funny thing happened after that.  The light turned green and they gunned it.  Here I am being all provocative (and dare I say sexy) for a motorist at the end of their sex starved rope while they’re on the verge of being prone to a violent act and they just leave me.  Shows what I get for putting myself out there.

But I was smitten.  Never mind they tried to run from my sexual advances.  I persuaded them like Loony Toon’s Peppy LaPeu.  Out my rolled down window I proclaimed to joggers, bikers and people taking trash to the road side that  “I love the driver of the car in front of me and I want everyone to know!!.  We’re going to be together”

I think they might change that bumper sticker from “If I don’t get laid soon I’m going to hurt somebody” to “If I get laid by that guy behind me I might get hurt soon”

Recordando un auto mítico.

Haciendo su primera aparición en el año 1994, el primero (categoría autos de calle) en alcanzar la monstruosa velocidad de 386,4 km/h (hasta ahora -año 2005-  igualada y/o superada por muy pocos, entre ellos Bugatti y koenigsegg entre otros) y con la capacidad de acelerar de 0 a 100 km/h en tan solo 2.8 segundos. Me refiero al legendario Mclaren F1 (Se ensamblaron 100 unidades: 64 unidades de calle, 5 LM, 2 GT y el resto GTR).

Pionero de la velocidad monstruosa, con ya casi 15 años de antiguedad, sigue siendo uno de los más increibles autos de toda la historia.

Lo recordarán por su aparición en la saga de juegos de Need for Speed (especialmente el IISE y el Hot Pursuit II – al menos los que yo jugué y que me gustaron-).

More Info: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren_F1

Ahora: 2 videos (tomados del swho Top Gear – muy bueno por cierto -) que demuestran por que este carro sigue siendo lo mejor, y como fué vencido por Bugatti =(  .

Bugatti Veyron vs Mclaren F1 Drag Race.

Nissan Skyline GTR vs Mclaren F1

New rules to split full time drivers - V8 News

The Board of V8 Supercars Australia is set to decide whether drivers should remain in their respective cars for the 2010 enduros.

It will Even up the playing field for teams without two gun drivers and also raise the stakes of accomplished V8 Supercar steerers lacking a full-time gig.

Such a move would be detrimental to teams like of the Toll Holden Racing Team, which won last weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with their stars Garth Tander and Will Davison paired together.

Those in favour of the concept also believe that it would give more cars the opportunity of winning Bathurst.

Tony Cochrane, V8SA Executive Chairman, confirmed the Board would discuss the item at a meeting, which is scheduled over two days next week.

“Personally I favour it but I don’t know what the Board’s feeling is yet,” he said.

“(And) I truly have not seen the feedback yet from the teams.

“That is on the agenda for the October 21st board meeting.

“It’s a two-day board meeting because it’s also our budget board meeting on the Wednesday/Thursday before the Gold Coast event.”

Warren Luff and Jonathon Webb drove for Jim Beam Racing in the enduros, experiencing a disappointing Bathurst, but they surprised many with a top six finish at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island.

Luff said he would rather an endurance drive with a strong team than a full-time drive with a weaker one, which is sure to be music to the ears of the leading teams if the proposed rule change goes ahead.

“I’ve found a really good home here; even though it’s only an enduro drive I’m sure there’s plenty of other guys that would love to have this drive,” he said.

“Who knows what the future holds, but it’s good to have a competitive car and be with a competitive team.

“There’s definitely a core group of us that are probably the better of the enduro drivers and given the right opportunity I’m sure we could all hold our heads high if given a full-time drive again.

“But it’s getting a drive, and getting a drive with a good team, that enables you to show what you can really do and that’s probably been the big thing for me this year with these guys and their new cars and stuff; I’ve been able to show that I’ve got some good speed.”

David Besnard and Greg Ritter proved their mettle at Bathurst paired in the second Garry Rogers Motorsport Commodore.

On a similar strategy to Sprint Gas Racing’s Greg Murphy and Mark Skaife, the part-timers would have been in contention for a podium – if not the win – but an ill-timed safety car stopped them in their tracks and they had to settle for a top 10 finish.

Besnard was far from surprised that he and Ritter did well at both of this year’s enduros.

“It’s definitely harder when you’re not in it all the time but I think if you ask any decent race car driver they’ll be confident in their ability and that’s why we do it.

“I get asked the same question every year especially at Bathurst. I’ve been on the podium twice and each time people say ‘oh are you amazed to have the pace to be on the podium?’ and you’re like ‘no, I’m not’,” he laughed.

“I’ve had good cars the last couple of years and I have been able to show what I can do.”

I am what I drive?

Further to my post on my little Honda, I spied an interesting item in today’s Globe and Mail. According to this year’s New Vehicle Experience Study by San Diego-based market research outfit Strategic Vision, more than 97% of Honda owners use the ‘web. It seems we are “the antithesis of flashy” and are “usually pragmatic and well-educated, with 70% of us boasting a college degree or higher.” Compare this to 35% for Chevy owners and 45% for Ford owners.

Reminds me of a sign I spotted in a small town in Norfolk, England, this past May. It  spoke volumes about the U.S. government’s decision to bail-out the company that Henry started way back when you could have any colour of car you wanted, as long as it was black.

Am I what I drive?

Llega TomTom car kit a Europa por 99,99 €

Como ya sabríais si es que estáis atentos y puede que os interese, se había anunciado el el kit de coche para la aplicación TomTom del iPhone para este mes de Octubre, pues bien, ya está disponible en la Web del fabricante por 99,99 €.

Sin duda, y pese al precio: en mi opinión algo elevado, es un gran complemento para el iPhone dentro del coche, ya que lo equipa de GPS (del de verdad), micrófono, altavoz, manos libres y cargador; todo sin perder su funcionalidad tanto de teléfono, como la de reproductor de música iPod.

Digamos que si no tienes un GPS y tienes un iPhone, seguramente se convierta en el complemento-regalo preferido para realizar estas navidades.

Blah blah blah

I have a bad case of the blues today. I can’t seem to snap out of it. 

I’ve been bad about working out lately. I’m planning to do it today and hopefully can get back on track. 

I found out some dramatic work news this morning. Ugh. 

I’ve decided on a Honda CRV. People seem to love their Hondas. It will  be nice to have something reliable. Tom’s going to start looking for one for me this week.

I can’t believe that it is already the middle of October. Gosh- in just one year, I have a new house, a new car, a new body, a whole new life. Crazy. Tom and I had our first date last November 7th- almost a year ago. Time goes by so fast. The holidays will be here before we know it. By the time Thanksgiving comes, I will  be recovering from my surgery. Eek.

Bob and I had a nice walk last night. He is such a great guy. I’m happy that he’s in the  neighborhood.

as weird traditions go ...

… I guess this one is kind of not TOO weird. As with most traditions, this one has logic that makes sense when it’s explained (at least to me). We have these big old trees right next to our driveway. They’re actually along that whole side of the house. I love them. They shade my deck & backyard. The one nuisance is that come this time of year their leaves start to fall, & the first thing they hit is my car. It kind of becomes a chore having to brush them off the hood everyday, but when they first start coming down it always excites me. 4 years ago I was going out to run errands on a rainy blah day (much like today actually), and noticed that the first leaves had started falling. Sitting on my hood was the most beautiful, bold red/orange/yellowy leaf. It’s colors popped against the white of my car, and glistened with the fresh rain water. So, I took a picture (well, that is what I do after all).

I liked the way it came out. I liked it so much, in fact, that every year since I’ve taken a picture of the first colorful leaves that flutter their way down to my driveway. Here is this years …

No, it is not the same car – it is the same make and model though (that’s another weird tradition thing LOL).

Out of the mouths of babes

An often misquoted and misunderstood biblical phrase, “out of the mouths of babes,” is loosely used to convey the sense that children, perhaps unfettered by world-weariness, often express wisdom that is beyond (or at least forgotten by) their elders.  Sadly, in my experience, that is not often enough the case.

I read a nice article in today’s Plymouth Observer entitled “Sending a Message: Kids divided on texting while driving ban.”  You can read the entire article here:  http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910080660

The article is quite an eye opener.  Oh, it’s not shocking that kids would text while driving.  Maddeningly, I see this happening almost daily.  The people who can least afford to be distracted on the road, inexperienced drivers, yack on their cell phones incessantly and text with an alarming frequency.  I’m actually surprised these days when I pass a teen driver that is not on his or her phone. And I’m not exaggerating.

What did shock me in the article is that some of them, knowing the danger they are putting themselves and others in by distracted driving, think a ban on driving-while-texting is a bad idea or it goes too far.  Here are some of the more disheartening quotes from some local high schoolers:

Kristyn Sturtz, a 16-year-old Plymouth High School junior, said she has stopped text messaging while driving, but she opposes a federal ban because “people are going to do it anyway” and she believes the law would be ineffective.

Still, Sturtz said, “I know people who have gotten in crashes (while texting). No one has gotten hurt, but cars have been totaled.”

Ah, the old “people are going to do it anyway” reason for not passing laws.  I suppose we should take the drunk driving statutes off the books because people continue to drink and drive.

This young lady admittedly texts while driving but won’t stop unless the feds step in and ban the practice:

Kara Bongiovanni, a 17-year-old Canton High School senior, said she doesn’t typically initiate texting while driving, but she reads and responds when others text her. “I try to make it to a red light before I respond, but I do read it while I’m driving, though,” she said.

Still, Bongiovanni said she would stop texting while driving altogether if state or federal lawmakers impose a ban — an idea she supports.

Apparently it seems advisable to her only to read texts while driving but not actually respond until she is at a red light.  This is at least a step in the right direction.

This boy perhaps expresses the most startling sentiment of all: he regularly texts and drives but the law should find a “middle ground” to regulate his behavior.  An all out ban, he seems to suggest, would disconnect his poor soul during his commute:

Alex Gravlin, a 16-year-old Salem High School junior, said an outright ban goes too far. He suggested efforts to find “a middle ground” in the controversy, although he isn’t sure what it would be.

Gravlin said he often prefers quick text messaging over formal phone conversations, and he said it’s a practice he engages in “from the time school gets out until I go to bed.” He conceded he texts while driving “every now and then,” but he usually tries to do it when he is stopped at a red light.

I hate to sound like a finger-wagger, but this is a safety issue.  Drivers that feel this way could kill themselves or others.

There’s another issue at work her, too.  People just can’t seem to unplug even for a few minutes, teens in particular.  This thinking is lost on me.  Why is responding immediately to some inane teen jibber-jabber more important than paying attention to the road for a few minutes?

Now this kid gets it.  She seems to have a head on her shoulders:

Amy Paladino, a 17-year-old Canton High School senior, said she has completely stopped sending or reading texts while she is driving, and she supports a ban.“I never text while I’m driving. I just let them pile up until I’m done driving,” she said, adding that she became fearful after seeing stories about people who have died while texting and driving.

“I don’t want that to be me,” Paladino said.

See how simple that is?  If only more of her peers would listen to her.

Press Release MM Competições (adaptada)

Caros Amigos e Patrocinadores

Realizou-se no passado fim de semana a última prova do Campeonato dos Açores de Ralis 2009, o Rali da Lagoa. As fortes chuvadas que se fizeram sentir no passado fim de semana danificaram e muito  os troços pelo que havia muita lama, regos e os carros tinham tendência a escorregar muito.

A nossa equipa, no sábado, entrou muito apreensiva. Eu estava desconcentrado e até parecia um daqueles dias em que não nos devemos levantar da cama. Assim que vi que estava assim, tentei apenas levar o carro até ao fim do dia sem causar estragos de maior. No segundo troço de Sábado, ao cortar uma curva, dei um toque com a roda numa pedra o que danificou uma rótula da direcção, ficando com a roda aberta. No último troço do dia, apenas pudemos gerir o andamento atendendo aos danos no carro. Quando chegámos ao parque de assistência os problemas foram resolvidos mas éramos uns modestos 20º da Geral.

No Domingo, 2º dia de competição, estávamos já com outra disposição para conduzir como gostamos. Logo na primeira especial, entrámos ao ataque com a intenção de recuperar os lugares perdidos no dia anterior e conseguimos subir 4 lugares na tabela classificativa. Ao fim dos 3 troços da manhã de domingo já estávamos em 15º da Geral e em 6º da nossa classe.  

Para a parte da tarde (os últimos 3 troços) decidimos entrar ao ataque de modo a tentar subir mais alguma posição. Tentámos imprimir um ritmo forte e à entrada de uma direita com um pequena lomba, o carro saltou (até aqui tudo normal) e quando aterrou sobre a jante do lado esquerdo a mesma cedeu vazando o pneu. Andámos mais uns 100 metros para uma zona de asfalto para trocar o pneus mas mesmo antes de chegar lá, a rotula de direcção partiu e consequentemente a transmissão também partiu o que nos levou ao abandono do rali, estragando o que seria, provavelmente, um bom rali para nós.

Resta-me agradecer a todos vós a confiança depositada na nossa equipa e o apoio durante todo o campeonato. Tentamos sempre fazer o nosso melhor em todos os ralis em que participamos, sempre à procura do melhor resultado dentro das limitações da nossa viatura, bem como tentamos sempre ser o mais regulares possível. Damo-nos por contentes, pois as manutenções que fazemos na viatura e o trabalho por nós realizado, diz-nos que estamos no caminho certo uma vez que o carro não deu qualquer problema ao longo do campeonato. Se não fossem pequenos azares, próprios de quem anda nos ralis, teríamos feito um pleno sem desistências. Além da pouca experiencia que temos com o Saxo, conseguimos evoluir e andar cada vez mais depressa com a viatura. Estou consciente que é possível fazer melhor com outras condições financeiras e já provámos o que sabemos fazer. Mais um facto relevante é que a pintura do Citroen mantêm-se sem qualquer risco desde do inicio da época, prova que somos uma equipa consciente, responsável e que sabe o que faz. Todo o investimento que é feito na nossa equipa é gerido com cabeça, tronco e membros.

Bem haja a todos, mais um vez o nosso muito OBRIGADO por tudo.

Major Secondary Offerings Keep Coming (ALTH, ATAX, ARYX, APPY, GRS, LINE, SGMO, CAR)

We are seeing more and more waves of secondary offerings continue to hit the street since the stock market has held up. Many stocks are close to near-term highs and it seems they are raising cash in case the opportunity goes away.  Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTH), America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P. (Nasdaq: ATAX), ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARYX), AspenBio Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: APPY), Gammon Gold, Inc. (NYSE: GRS), LINN Energy, LLC (NASDAQ: LINE), and Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) have all priced secondary offerings.  Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAR) is one of the pending offerings.
Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTH) priced a 14 million share secondary offering at $7.10 per share after closing at $7.32 yesterday.  Shares are down under 1% at $7.24 and the 52-week trading range is $3.82 to $9.30.  The market cap before any effects of dilution was listed as $644 million.

America First Tax Exempt Investors, L.P. (Nasdaq: ATAX) priced its secondary offering of 4,200,000 limited partnership interests at $5.05 per unit.  The firm raised approximately $19.95 million in net proceeds after the  payment of fees.  This one is trading up 0.5% at $5.08 and the 52-week trading range is $4.25 to $7.00.

ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARYX) announced that it has secured $35 million in a committed equity financing facility.  It will sell shares of common stock to Commerce Court Small Cap Value Fund over a 24 month period.  There is a maximum number of shares that can be sold and it is under no obligation to utilize any of the $35 million.  The company is also free to enter into other equity and debt financing transactions.  ARYx shares are down 3% at $3.04 and the market cap here is $83.5 million.

AspenBio Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ: APPY) is getting slashed and burned on its secondary offering.  It sold 4,482,609 shares of common stock at $1.70 per share, but that is after a $2.16 close yesterday.  Shares are down 17% at $1.79 on 175,000 shares.  This one is raising cash close to the bottom as the 52-week trading range is $1.05 to $7.78.

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NYSE: CAR) is under pressure as it has filed to sell some $250 million in convertible senior notes and on word that it intends to simultaneously enter into a warrant transaction to effectively hedge the convertible note sale.  These transactions often see selling, and that is what we are seeing here.  Shares are down 9% at $12.06 today and the market cap ius roughly $1.25 billion.

Gammon Gold, Inc. (NYSE: GRS) could be in the first wave of many smaller gold players to raise cash now that gold is over $1,000 per ounce.  The company announced a $100 million bought deal financing with a syndicate of underwriters including BMO and UBS.  The underwriters agreed to purchase on a bought deal basis some 11.24 million shares of common stock at $8.90 per share.  We have shares down 5.5% at $8.85 on about 1,7 million shares (only 900K on average trading day).

LINN Energy, LLC (NASDAQ: LINE) priced some 7,500,000 units of limited liability company interests at $21.90 per unit.  Net proceeds are approximately $157 million before any overallotments.  This one is down 3.4% at $22.35 and the 52-week trading range is $10.81 to $24.09.  The market cap before the effect of any offering dilution is listed as $2.7 billion.

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGMO) is getting its wings clipped this morning.  It priced its secondary offering of 3,000,000 shares of common stock at $7.20 per share.  This one has doubled this year and shares are down almost 11% at $7.12 after closing at $8.00 yesterday.  The 52-week trading range is $1.82 to $9.39 and the market cap before any effects of the dilution is listed as $293 million after today’s drop.

As long as the capital markets remain open, we’d expect more and more companies use the strength to raise cash either for acquisitions or for a rainy day.

JON C. OGG
OCTOBER 7, 2009

Cheap GPS Units For Cars

Author: Kazi Niyaz
Source: ezinearticles.com

If you are planning to travel, but have a hard time finding, cheap garmin
, a GPS unit that has features that you need, you might want to find a GPS unit that’s an affordable one.

Now that you have finally decided that you want to get the first GPS unit for your car, you might as well want to get a cheap solution that isn’t, cheap garmin
, hard on your wallet but works fine at the same time. In this article, we’ll try to take a look at what features a GPS unit should have, along with a pricing guide, cheap garmin
, that should give you an idea of how much a cheap device should cost you.

Most of the low-budget GPS units cost somewhere below $200 and if, cheap garmin
, you see a device with a higher price, it’s not a budget, cheap garmin
, GPS unit anymore. The only features that a budget GPS unit should have are: Lots of POI’s (Points of Interest) in the database (e.g. the Garmin Nuvi 205 has 6 million, cheap garmin
, of them), a detour function, an easy-to-use interface and of course, a large map database that has pre-loaded maps of your, cheap garmin
, area. Most of the GPS systems have an anti-theft alarm, as the trends are showing that the theft of the GPS systems has increased quite a lot as they’ve become more popular.

If possible, you should seek for a unit that has additional features. Most GPS units, even low-end ones, offer a wide variety of features that can come in handy. Some are compatible with FM and MSN traffic so you can receive, cheap garmin
, live traffic, cheap garmin
, reports for an additional fee. If you live in, cheap garmin
, a remote area, chances are that it’s, cheap garmin
, unmapped, so double-check every map that’s included with the unit; ask the seller whether or not it has maps of your location. Some of, cheap garmin
, the GPS units also come with useful, cheap garmin
, features like the Garmin’s “Where am I?” emergency feature – a feature, which allows to call emergency directly from the unit, save your current location in an address or locate nearby services, such as hospitals, police stations and many more.

Overall, it’s easy to get a cheap GPS unit that can be used in a car and become a proud user of a GPS unit. If you have some experience using GPS, the TomTom 125 would be a great choice, as it costs below $100 and offers a lot of features for that price category. For example, detouring isn’t missing out in TomTom 125 along with preloaded, cheap garmin
, maps of the area it’s sold in. But POI’s are missing in it. However, if you have no experience using GPS devices, you should give the Garmin Nuvi 205 a try, as it’s extremely easy to use and costs just a little more than the aforementioned alternative of TomTom.

At Portable Car GPS Reviews, you can find the lowest price on GPS units and read reviews of top car models like the TomTom 125 GPS.

Cost of Your Car pt 2

Well, it looks like my previous post on the true cost of your car was quite a big hit.  If you missed it, read it here.  It was quite a popular post, so I figured I’d do a follow up when the situation has changed, and I was able to get myself a new (to me) diesel truck (or car).  I had figured that saving for this goal would detract from paying off my credit card debt a bit, but with the situation that my car is in, I figured it’d be the wise thing to do.

Dont you hate it when you have this grand financial (or other) plan all worked out in your head, then the wheels fall off?

I do too.

So, there’s been alot going on with the car situation lately, and I just wasnt sure how to tell this tale.  I want equal parts common sense and suspense, but I’d also like the readers to have a take-away lesson from it as well.   So, I’m going to give it my best.

I had someplace important to go last Saturday, and it was about a 4 hour drive (most of you would consider that a road trip, but it’s fairly common in Wyoming).  I was headed north towards my destination when I start to feel a wobble in the car, and wonder if it’s the new pavement that was just put down.  The problem persists, so I finally decide to pull over.  Quickly racking my brain, I was remembering a problem that I was planning to have fixed in 2 days and went to see if that indeed was what had happened.  It was.  I had been driving the car with 3 lug nuts, and finally, they had just fallen off.  So I was looking at my vehicle with just 1 lug nut on it, and got a great idea to take one from each of the other wheels and put it on the problem area.   Not so simple, unfortunately.  After I got the tire off, I realized that the lug nut studs (things they screw into) had been sheared clean off, and there was no hope for me getting any more lug nuts on there.  I drive about 20 miles to the nearest town and see if I can find a repair shop.  Small town Wyoming was mostly closed at noon on a Saturday, and the ones that were open told me it would be at least 3 days before parts came in and it could be fixed.

Immediately, I think….crap, why couldn’t this problem just hang on for 2 more days until it was convenient for me to deal with?  I really wish that could happen, but the reason that we have savings accounts and things like that is that problems dont come around when they are ready to be dealt with.  If that was the case, they wouldn’t be called problems, now would they?

So, I ended up buying a new (to me) car.  It was a cheap, reliable car, and was situated perfectly to get me out of the bind I was in.  So, now I have 2 cars, both of which I dont want to own, and one of which I need.  Im going to try & sell the newer car and am getting the old one fixed, but it’s all going to take some time.  Also, because I got such a good deal on the car, I may be able to sell it for what I bought it for (or perhaps a bit more).

That’s where Im currently at with the vehicular situation, and wish I wasnt.  Oh well.

But lets be real people, If things came at you as you prefered instead of as they actually happened, they wouldnt be called problems, and life would be like that movie pleasantville.  Boring, eh?  Even though it was a pretty lame experience, it was something that i’ll remember for next time, and I wont let the maintenence wait!

Car sales tumble after Clunker program

The Jacksonville Observer reports that “the auto industry staggered through September, suffering from a massive cash-for-clunkers hangover that left sales down 41% compared with clunker-fueled August.”

“About 700,000 vehicles were sold through the program,” depleting inventory of many popular, fuel-effecient cars,  “so even people who wanted to buy in September may have had a hard time finding cars they wanted.”

Clunker Program’s Sales Bubble Has Burst [Jacksonville Observer]

Top 10 cele mai rapide masini din lume

Locu 1

Barabus TKR – 1005 cai putere Supercar-ul Barabus TKR este proiectat si construit de compania Barabus Sportscars Limited.

Datorita motorului V8 (7 litri) twin turbo (dual-intercooler) care dezvolta 1005 cai putere la 6800 rpm, TKR este una dintre cele mai puternice masini de strada.

Conform Barabus, TKR poate atinge o viteza maxima de 270 mph (~435km/h) si accelereaza de la 0 la 60mph in 1.67 secunde!!!

Barabus TKR va fi produs in Italia, si va avea un pret de $660.000.

youdrift.net wed night meet !

so last night we headed out to the www.youdrift.net Wednesday night meet @ diefens coffee shop in rancho cucamonga. i have to say it murdered all the meets Ive been to lately. pretty damn good turnout for it only being its 3rd week.you drift and godspeed raffled off some clothes and tension rods at the end of the night and there where a few lucky winners. i HIGHLY suggest if you drive a RWD car then head to this meet on wed. or if you got a yaris, you can join me, the more cars the better. you cant beat a good crowd, live dj, good ass coffee and smoothies all at the same spot. starts @ 8 ends @ 11 pm, hope to see you there !

12750 foothill blvd.rancho cucamonga, ca 91739

Marco hard @ work !

Raffle Prizes

Riley (AMP) , Godspeed, Rudy (inland drift)

Raffle Time !

see you next wed !

Cheryl Cole's car up for sale

Cheryl Cole’s supercar is up for sale at a bargain price.

The black Audi R8, which formerly belonged to the X Factor judge, is on sale for £66,985, £30,000 less than it cost when it was bought two years ago.

Yorkshire car dealers Shawcroft Motors Ltd wrote on their website: “Previously owned by a certain Mrs Cheryl Cole, this car certainly has The X Factor.”

The Audi – bought in 2007 and registered in her husband Ashley Cole’s name – includes some luxurious extra features the Girls Aloud singer splashed out on, such as a £4,795 leather interior and a £1,175 Bang and Olufsen sound system.

Simon Cowell, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gary Barlow and David Hasselhoff have all owned an Audi R8.

Source

Garmin 1390t

Garmin Nuvi 1390t – The device Garmin Nuvi 1390t, is a GPS system of excellent quality. The whole thing weighs 161 grams. This device comes with a lithium ion rechargeable battery that lasts up to four hours, extremely sensitive receivers, and a very large, solid internal memory. MicroSD™ data card which is not sold with the compatible device and has to be bought separately.

There are five versions of the GPS system sold all over North American, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.. The Garmin Nuvi 1390t comes loaded with great features and 1000 waypoints, making this device a favorite among GPS users. The cost of a Nuvi 1390t, a little below $400, is appropriate to its wide range of features. This is a very good buy; purchasers should be congratulated for buying this equipment at such an attractive price.

The Garmin Nuvi 1390t’s features include a WQVGA color TFT display system. This display system features an ultra-bright, white backlight. The 480 by 272 pixel display on this GPS system provides clean, crisp images. With introduction of Nuvi 1390t the best package for city navigation and European maps, the customer will be satisfied to find that he has got all the necessary equipments for installing the device in any mode of transport Included in the purchase price are USB and power cables as well as an FM traffic receiver.

The Nu vi 1390t is equipped with preloaded maps and a base map and additional maps can be loaded onto the device is desired. This device has voice instructing features that announce necessary turns, the names of different streets, and it is also equipped with junction view/lane assist guidance. Integrated route planning and re-routing features in the Garmin Nuvi 1390t make planning routes ultra convenient. Consumers can customize their routes based on the criteria that is most important to them, including fuel savings, avoiding toll roads, the shortest distance or the fastest route.

Hands free calling features are integrated via Bluetooth® state of the art technology as well. FM traffic, and MSN® Direct are compatible with this device. The Garmin Nuvi 1390t is loiaded with exclusive features and simple to use.

The user of the Nuvi 1390t will always know speed limits on major highways and roads thanks to the inclusion of sensitive speed limit indicators. The device is perfect for any situation with custom points of interest, a global clock, conversion capabilities, and calculators designed to help you in every day. The entire device is controlled by a super sensitive touch screen display and Consumers can view and navigate via pictures too

Garmin nuvi 1390t Review