TimedDisuse

Why HP should buy Omatek

2011-06-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

Why not? Both are technology companies; one is Nigerian, the other American; one is regional, the other global in reach.

Omatek gets business mainly from governments at the federal and state levels and has been reported to have earned N1.5 billion in the current period under review.

Actually, that is peanuts in comparison to Hewlet-Parckard, which probably earns that much in a matter of hours.

By the way, I must disclose here that I am a shareholder of Omatek Ventures. While you digest that, if you are in the US right now and about to buy an HP ENVY 14 Beats Edition or HP ENVY 14 Series computer, use the following coupon code to get back $150 in your pocket: NBEV3157, before Father's Day comes to an end!

I hate to waste money, especially when I cannot use the coupon sent to me, after registering my new HP printer online, just because I am not a US redident. Tell me if the coupon code worked for you.
Somebody online last week gave me a similar gift that saved me 20 % on a fax service purchase. So, Happy Father's Day gift giving.

Rash of recalls to think about more often

2010-03-21T01:04:00.000-07:00

To say that Toyota is in disarray and lying in ruins is to say that you may not know all the historical facts.

I had been really worried when the auto company began to recall most of its models with one fault or the other.

Panic set in amongst the dealers with large stocks of models unsold, customers who had recently purchased one model or the other suddenly saw the resale value of their marque spiraling downwards out of control.

But wait a minute. these recalls are routine in the automobile business and can apply to anything as mundane as driver seat warmers that fail to get the heat up to breach the cold in the seat of the driver's pants.

Secondly, it seems to apply to North American models, as pointed out by my local major Toyota dealership, and not to his 'tropicalized' motor vehicles.

Hurray, said some panicky Toyotans as Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, and a few other auto manufacturers joined the bandwagon to get inbetween the consumers' focus on Toyota's problem solving skills.

After all, Toyota may well just come out of all this brouhaha smelling as sweetly as roses if it reduced its car prices - in compensation - by a mere, say, 20%! Nobody would probably be able to compete with the behemoth then.

It's a bit like everyone on the team faking a broken leg just so that the local beauty queen would come close to commiserate with each person and, perhaps, dish out a kiss or two and maybe also a cuddly hug.

Ha-ha...Seriously though, perhaps I should wait for a version 1.01 before rushing out to buy a new model of any vehicle, if I had the money just waiting to be burned.

Anyway, I seem to be getting into Internet-speak these days. Can you imagine that I once turned unto a road that had no exit for miles ahead only to meet a go-slow traffic bottleneck.

Instinctively, I said to myself, "Hit the Back button!" Boy, did it dawn on me that day that there is reality, and there is 'virtuality'.

I just sank back into my seat and waited to ride out the traffic jam. Maybe that's good advice too for the Toyotans and others facing a storm of recalls on their treasured vehicles.

Mega city life not bed of roses

2009-11-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

I just washed off the pollution from my body after today's hectic day out on the town. I went to Agbara to reconcile my seventy-year-old uncle's electricity bill at Alaba before heading back towards Oshodi - sorry, I cannot divulge my exact location openly online.

The utility bill was perennially variable from the power company adopting the very unpopular method of estimation of usage - actual electricity usage is not factored in, even though the meter readings are taken religiously.

In fact, the latest power bill had other errors - apart from the inflated charges - like two different deadlines for payment and a November bill in the middle of November!

One part of the bill had 16th November 2003 and the other part of the tear away stub had 16th November 2009.

The customer service man said it was a printer's devil and I replied that it must be the mother of all printer's devils. Ha-ha...

Anyway, thank God it's Friday and all ended well in the end - the marketing manager involved retrieved the faulty bill and asked me to see him on Monday for the new bill, promising to 'do something' about the inflated bill by December.

However, in my attempt to get home early from that remote location, I hailed a commercial bike rider to get me quickly to the nearest bus stop - as night falls, public transportation fares are hiked by the operators, trailers cause bumper-to-bumper traffic hold-ups, and harried Policemen stopping-to-search and collecting 'illegal tolls' from each overloaded truck does not help matters at all.

In his frantic attempt to kick-start his old motorbike engine, he gave a karate-like kick to my trusty about-town sandals and a part of the leather upper got a bit stretched and bruised.

And i had to pay him sixty naira - that's my local currency - for the ride on top of the damage to my person. Anyway, I must thank God for not landing in a hospital with some injuries - then, he probably would have left me there with their usual parting words to thousands of other unfortunate souls in the orthopedic wards and emergency rooms, "Sorry... don't worry about the payment..."

That tortuous trip began at ten in the morning and ended for me at dusk about seven, when I finally got home to meet my entire family fast asleep after a hectic week of work and schooling.

Dirt and grime seem to fall freely from the air in most very big cities where I have lived in Nigeria, especially Lagos and Port-Harcourt.

The latter should be expected because of its proximity to oil production facilities - with their attendant gas flaring debris and other atmospheric discharges.

Lagos, my mega city, with numerous industries operating and the absence of steady and reliable power supply, is a prime candidate for pollution from heavy generator use and indiscriminate dumping of waste of all kinds - especially food packaging and paper waste, notably from transportation receipts to cellphone recharge cards.

Lagos is a mega city because it has an estimated population of over eighteen million people and reportedly has a population density second only to India's Bombay/Mumbai.

According to this, between 1800 and 2000, rural urban migration increased so much that city dwellers increased in population from three percent to over fifty percent of the total population.

I really would have loved to include photographs of my trips around town but I must be realistic about the dangers involved.

Honestly, apart from a gun toting officer in one of the security services mistaking me for their reputedly-public-enemy-number-one newspaper journalist, losing my camera to thieves in one of the traffic jams in some neighborhoods with an unsavoury reputation is definitely not one of my ideas of fun and excitement.

So, I will tell my stories-about-town in words - literally well painted, I hope. You be the judge...

Oddities clocking records

2009-11-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of these things lately? By 'these' I am referring to the following strange things seen recently on the Net.

Would you believe that a South Korean woman passed her driving test after the 950th attempt? What I want to know is, "At 68, is she fit to drive around town, without experience, while selling vegetables?"

And then there is the innovation called a virus battery that can power a car! Yes, a working lithium-ion device for storing and releasing electric current that uses genetically engineered live but harmless viruses to form the cathode and the anode, separated by a polymer plate.

The oddest? How about a 1965 Volkswagen model that was stolen in 1974 but recovered in 2009 on its way back to Germany!

The insurance company paid the original owner hundreds of Dollars for his loss then but now the vehicle is worth $27,000 to the insurance company.

Do you multitask behind the wheel?

2009-09-26T13:09:00.001-07:00

You do? Doing several things behind the wheel? Wow! Me too! But then perhaps we are not talking about the same thing?

The only multitasking that I do while driving is shifting gears, switching on the wipers and headlights, and making a fast but necessary cell phone call during a traffic snarl.

Contrast that with this picture of a teenager texting behind the wheel, while another takes over the wheel at 60 kmph! Can you picture that?

Yes, it has been proven that humans can not multitask very well; in fact, we are not built that way, so to speak. If you doubt me, take this test and see for yourself.

Losing concentration for even a split second can lead to a fatal crash - yours or someone else's, or both - and missing this innovative road sign of the future.

Perhaps, it is true that it is the governments - '....a problem that could be as bad as drunk driving, and the government has covered it up....' - and cab drivers - '...drivers who talk on cellphones are four times as likely to cause a crash....' - who are really driven to distraction.

A closer look at vehicle emissions

2009-08-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Vehicle emissions have been increasing - a conclusion that can be intuitively arrived at from the upward trend in vehicle sales, for both the brand new and the used kind.

However, emissions control technology has also improved from the old just-muffler-thanks to the more sophisticated carbon monoxide scrubbers and absorbers.

That definitely is a positive development, bearing in mind that many suicides and homicides have been effected on camera and in reality by exposure to exhaust fumes from the exhaust pipe of a vehicle in a closed space - like a car garage.

According to this study, total vehicle emissions in the USA have fallen, even as more miles have been traveled on the road by vehicles - more evidence that emissions control technology are doing what they were designed to do.

While waiting for better fuel formulations, additives and emissions control technology, I believe it is much safer to drive today than ever before.

What do you think?

Some interesting new motoring trends

2009-07-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Let me just list them as I have seen them, so that you can follow-up on them later. First of all, BMW and Honda have pulled out of Formula 1 racing - a new dimension to the recently settled break-away threats by the constituent member teams in the Grand Prix Circuit.

That leaves the MaClaren and Ferrari teams as potential world beaters, especially after the legendary Michael Schumacher has come out of retirement to replace recovering Felipe Massa of the Ferrari Team.

Can you imagine a race on August 23 featuring Schumacher, Alonso, Raikonnen, and current McClaren leader Hamilton, who recently won in the rather eventful Hungarian Grand Prix? Wow!

Until last week, I never really realized that Schumacher is called Schumi as a term of endearment on the racing tracks.

And then there is the cash for clunkers deal currently enjoying a $3.00 Billion largesse from the US Congress - at last - at least, more people are buying more modern automobiles in order to give up their less efficient gas guzzlers.

UPDATE - Thursday, August 13th, 2009:

The latest development on the Schumacher-stepping-in-for-injured-Massa story is that it won't happen because Schumi sustained a neck injury earlier on this year in a biking accident that may prove a bit too dangerous a risk for him if he opts to compete professionally on the race tracks.

Anyway, he has been denied any chance of practicing with a race car until just two days before the big race itself by both the rules and the tit-for-tat veto power of one of his rival teams.

So, Schumacher has pulled out of the race later on in August and will not race against the current race car stars....

Sitewide Disclosure Policy

2009-07-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am the Author of this personal blog site and, for any questions about it, please contact me.

This blog site abides by word of mouth marketing standards and believes in full disclosure, honesty of relationship, opinion and identity.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger’s own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog site accepts paid reviews and receives other forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation, which may influence the advertising content, topics or posts published.

Even though the owner of this blog site is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics, and also may receive compensation for some posts or advertisements, he always gives his honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products.

Consequently, that content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content. This blog will always identify content that might present a conflict of interest.

In that regard, look out for the category, label or tag entitled “Jambray” - or some other such wording - attached/placed on such published posts.

This is a formal statement of the Timed Disuse disclosure policy, which I edited after receiving an online version last year. It is valid and takes effect from Friday, 24 July, 2009.

Click here to get your own blog advertising ethics policy.

For your information, you will find below the original disclosure policy from disclosurepolicy.org, exactly as given:

[This policy is valid from 18 March 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact prinbin2006@yahoo.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content will always be identified.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org]

New cars to watch out for, if you can afford them

2009-07-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

A $2 million car, a luxury supercar, a two-door claustrophobic leather-enhanced interior wonder, and other gripping baubles of the jet set - pity that the Concord has been decommissioned for age and lack of better technologically advanced materials and spare parts.

Anyway, I read online just yesterday about a $2 million Citroen GT supercar, reportedly based on a video game conceptual design - yes, talk about art imitating life and vice versa.

It has so many projections and pointed parts that I would hate to see that car rear ended by the latest Honda, the hybrid CR-Z - an update on the old, short or truncated, and pretty petrol-only CRX of the 1980's.

Take a look at the number of curves that the GT seemingly throws at you in the top and side views of the two pictures below - quite a long way from the old Palas, I would say:

Compare with the older Citroen Palas - hydraulics actually jacked up the car as soon as as ignition was achieved. That belly-flopping mechanism while parked certainly would have put some car-bombing terrorists out of business today. Oh well, here is the Palas photo:

Speaking of that Honda CR-Z, I just saw a relatively old Honda Accord and was struck by the similarity between the projecting front grills of the two vehicles - the CRZ just has a much more enhanced grin....err, I mean exaggerated grill work.

Hee-hee... say cheese.... Ha-ha... I love that look!

Then there is the new Jaguar XJ series - a complete departure from the old, elongated, and hitherto unchanged series: so loyally highlighted in the post-Roger Moore as Simon Templar in The Saint TV series.

According to this, "....the range topping 5.0 litre 510ps petrol version takes only 4.9 seconds to hit 62mph." Wow!

Government/General Motors changing hands faster than a genie

2009-06-06T14:12:00.001-07:00

This post is not a joke about General Motors' current plight in its throes of bankruptcy. I read today that a Judge has cleared the obstacle preventing GM from going to Italy by Fiat.

My last sit-in on CNN gave me an insight into why GM, despite its host of plum locations and choice brands and models, could not sell cars fast enough to earn a half decent profit in recent years: the dealers got deals good enough to pitch and pit each one against the others in a price war, while other auto companies, like Toyota, smiled all the way to the bank.

And now, the racing team at Penske is taking over Saturn - not the planet! - on behalf of GM, whose dealers are in a race to sell their last stocks, I think, at almost giveaway prices.

A big hint to all the gift-givers and philanthropists out there: I wish that I could get my hands on one of those beautiful new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1! That would really make my day any day, 24/7! ;)

New trends for biodegradable cars and vehicle sharing

2009-05-13T00:49:00.001-07:00

Can you imagine a biodegradable car? I guess sharing a private car with complete strangers in an arms length sort of way in a club is much more acceptable - swine flu in the air or not.

That biodegradable car is called the "WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car" from Warwick University in Britain - the fuel is also made from plant waste and, yes, chocolate factory waste!

It has done just 60 mph so far but is set to be tested at its rated speed of 145 mph very soon. Wonders will never end - a race car made of twigs and weeds and powered by chocolate!

Usen Bolt used yam power to break the world records in the 100m and 200m dash during the Beijing Summer Olympics, so it's not really a total surprise.

As for the car sharing thing, it is called the Zipcar! I understand that the business is so good that some non-profits and Hetz are also getting in on the act.

I like the idea of sharing a car: just register with $25, pay the annual membership fee of $50, leave no half-eaten food in the car, and return it where you picked it up and get a bill online.

I have always felt that owning a car is such a waste - a pile of metal left to the elements throughout the night or long holidays and giving you a headache with maintenance just when you need to rev it up and zip along to wherever your feet cannot take you!

Volkswagen locks bumpers with Porsche

2009-05-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

This see-saw corporate struggle reminds me of an unforgettable childhood memory. That of the relatively little kite attacking, I think, the hawk in mid-air and all the while screaming as if in excruciating pain!

In that analogy, Porsche is the kite. Unfortunately, now Porsche really is gripped by financial pains - up to $12 billion worth - and could have its majority stake in VW actually costing it its sports car business in a family feud gone awry.

Yes, a family feud between cousins; Ferdinand Piëch at both VW and Porsche, and Wolfgang Porsche at Porsche Automobil Holding, with the former likely to come out on top in a merger.

In my humble opinion, the two companies are as different as their corporate logos. Apart from the Golf GTi, I am inclined to say that Volkswagen is not an automaker with a racing pedigree - even though their ten-year underbelly anti-corrosion guarantee is really quite reassuring, especially for the second-hand aftermarket.

Ironically, VW's 'Volkswagen law,' with its protective blanket maximum 20 per cent voting rights irrespective of shareholding size, will enable it to protect itself against Porsche while simultaneously allowing it to buy up the cash-strapped auto business of Porsche.

Incidentally, if Porsche and Volkswagen merge, and Fiat buys Opel, what would Toyota and Ford, Hyundai, Isizu, Honda, and ... do?

Related articles:

'Porsche's VW Plan Was Pure Megalomania'

Volkswagen and Porsche to merge

Porsche Fails to Swallow VW

Marriage Tips For Porsche, Volkswagen

Porsche, VW To Merge and Become The New GM (And Don't Forget Fiat!)

GM said to seek stake in Fiat

Honda Insight doing well

2009-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

This rather partisan pseudo-automotive write up gave me the idea for this post. What is the Honda Insight hybrid, what makes it so special that it has brought the company back into the black almost single-handedly, while other automakers are still bleeding red ink financially?

Here's a good look at the 2010 Honda Insight hybrid: a 1.3-liter engine doing 40 miles per gallon around town/city driving and 43 mpg on the highway for $19,800 minimum for the LX model and up to a maximum of $23,100 for the FX model with GPRS navigation!

Hmmm.... That low and dipping front end would be a disaster on rough or bumpy and unpaved/un-tarred roads, I think.

I would put the bigger tires/tyres in front to level out the drive train a bit for such uneven roads, whether or not it would make the fuel-efficient vehicle less aerodynamic. What do you think?

The Johannesburg and Australian autobahns at Easter?

2009-04-16T06:25:00.001-07:00

Does that surprise you? It certainly did me! The Easter holidays were quite peaceful and relaxing. My parents traveled home but the rest of us had this big house all alone.

Of course, the diesel generator had no respite whenever the public power supply went AWOL in the middle of something important on the Net or TV.

Yes, now back to the autobahn in Johannesburg, the premier city of South Africa - the country's political capital is actually Pretoria.

A man was clocked and arrested doing 228 kilometers per hour in a BMW and arrested by the Police for speeding.

228 km/hr! 180 has been the closest that I ever did in a two-door Nissan Sentra automobile on an interstate expressway without butting into a car in front of me - just not enough free space on the regular highways in the major cities in Nigeria.

There is more about Easter speeding offenses in Victoria and New South Wales' Sydney harbor over in Australia, where there were cases of "...doing 157km/h in a 60km/h zone at Oxley in Brisbane's west...", "....doing 165km/h in a 100km/h zone...." in Brisbane's north side, where 'hundreds' of drink-drivers and drug-drivers were pulled over for booking:

[....the worst drink-driving reading in the state had been in Maryborough, where a driver blew 0.35 - seven times the legal limit.....]

Did you know that "....A 600cc machine has roughly twice the power of a similar model from 15 years ago because of major technological advances...." and that novice-range drink-driving is when you return a breathalyzer "....reading of .015...."?

Keep on trucking but spin no wheels

2009-03-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

How are you coping with your transportation needs now that the Bush Global Financial Depression is biting closer to home almost in every nation?

While you ponder your next response, let me give you an idea of the related healthy and unhealthy - for lack of a less diplomatic way of expressing it - attitudes observed in various automotive sectors and niches.

Would you believe that somebody sank his car and an auto dealer burned his unsold inventory in order to cover or recoup their losses by fraudulently making insurance claims on their deliberate acts?

By the way, the fire starter automobile dealer actually had a heart attack while carrying out his heinous intention.

That external link above made an important point of explaining the relevant quandary of conscience in such drastic cases of dishonesty and insurance fraud:

[.....“Morale hazard is when a person’s state of mind is such that there is no longer an interest in protecting the property from loss. Examples might include leaving the vehicle unlocked, failing to set the alarm, deferring the maintenance, etc. As a result, claims are more likely to occur when there is a morale hazard. “Moral hazard is when a person is inclined to do something dishonest in order to benefit from an insurance contract, such as intentionally setting the insured property on fire or arranging for it to appear stolen. As a result, a claim is certain to occur when a moral hazard exists. ”.....]

According to the same source, the most honest car owners - in terms of insurance fraud occurrences - are the classic car enthusiasts because:

[.....“If my hobby is bass fishing, the boat is simply the vehicle that gets me to my destination. For an automobile enthusiast, owning the classic car is the destination.”.....]

Rather than cooling their heels and waiting for future financial stimulus money, many auto makers - from Chrysler to Ford and General Motors - seem to be going back to an old successful car sales formula involving the building of cars that actually won races to prove to the consumer or car buyer its road worthiness pedigree first hand and in broad daylight.

A related development is the focus of the auto manufacturers on showcasing supercars - as they did at the recently concluded 2009 Geneva Motor Show, not worrying about who exactly had the money now to buy them but aiming at bringing back the awe associated with automobiles and great marques.

Speaking of cooling the heels and financial bailout packages, would you believe the following breaking news item about the recently bailed out AIG, which had originally been so reasonable that it went into negotiations with the English Premiership Soccer Club side Manchester United - in a bid to renegotiate its record-breaking annual sponsorship deal of $50 million?

While others are losing their jobs and getting pay cuts and being foreclosed upon at home:

[....A.I.G. to Pay $100 Million in Bonuses After Huge Bailout Despite being bailed out with more than $170 billion from the Treasury and Federal Reserve, the American International
Group is preparing to pay about $100 million in bonuses to executives in the same business unit that brought the company to the brink of collapse last year.....]

Maybe those executives went to the Geneva Motor Show and decided to acquire a few more supercars - like the Ferrari 430 Scuderia - by hook or by crook?

Can you blame them? A local tale of wisdom has it that the man who has the yam in one hand and holds the knife in the other hand will be the one to decide how much yam he eats, no matter what anybody else thinks or feels....

Would you be tempted to do the same hypocritical thing if you could shake your hand a bit in a fluorish and pen a few lines on a corporate check/cheque in order to drive the new Audi TT RS sports car - shown below in all its intoxicating motoring glory?

Those living a charmed life

2009-02-26T04:33:00.000-08:00

I had been searching for information on Google related to the title above when I stumbled upon - no, I was not browsing with StumbleUpon - this website.

My intention had been to do a post on Kimora Lee Simmons, Russell Simmons, Ming Lee Simmons, and Aoki "Gabbana" Lee Simmons.

The plot thickened when I googled 'Russell Simmons', the legendary Def Jam record label co-founder, amongst other numerous business interests, and found out that he had become divorced from Kimora.

The divorce decree was made final on 30 January, 2009 probably because she had presumably somewhat and somehow schemed her way to the very top of a business that he had created and then just sold!

Talk about keeping your eye on the business and the money! Kimora Lee Simmons certainly lives a charmed life.

I had seen just last week a series of episodes of "Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane" - shot in 2007, I have just learned.

The cable television show appeared on 'My Celebrity Home' by Style.com had her showing off her house-within-a-house closets of shoes, clothing and Louis Vuitton bags, make-up and jewelery island, adorably exciting-to-watch-their-antics children, jewelery and clothing business, and indomitable character and inimitable sense of style.

That definitely dominant character came into play when she was informed about the creation of a new Barbie Doll line in her honor.

At the meeting with the toy people, she "hell no" insisted on - and got - the addition of a pet black cat, which she had in real life and named 'Midnight' at home, as an accessory to the toy line in her name!

She was even gracious enough to be silent on and to let the doll be called Kimora Simmons - that 'noisy' silence despite her divorce proceedings, on going then, as from 2006, I hear - because the the manufacturers wanted the name to be simple and easy for kids to remember.

Believe me, she really is the model new queen of conspicuous consumption, and it truly fits her like royalty, naturally - the house she moved into on the show was on the market for $15 million only....

So, how come I never heard of her until February, 2009? I know....She was still on the runway at the Baby Phat Farm! Ha-ha...

Oh, in her current life after divorce, she is now said to be expecting a baby with African-now-American actor Djimon Hounsou.

It is apt, I think, to relate to you at this point a study about how the sins of women and men are different "based on confessions taken by Roberto Busa, a 95-year-old Jesuit scholar" and supported by the Catholic church.

According to that study, women are prone to confess sins about pride, envy and anger, while men declare their human foibles and spiritual weaknesses as lust, gluttony and sloth/laziness - exactly in the order listed, from first to third.

Hmmm....I wonder who those pretty mighty heavy shoes fit the most now? The following is a list of words that may describe or have been used to refer to Kimora: 'chinky giraffe' for her six-foot-plus frame, not among the 'people of struggle' for her amassed wealth, and 'little helium laugh' or 'jingling, cash-money voice'.....

She's definitely a diva - any warts and all....

Bailed out automakers set future headlights fullbeam

2009-01-31T10:57:00.000-08:00

The Ford Taurus version for 2010 is out. Historically not a luxury car, that model has come a long way from 1988, when it was described in car user reviews variously as a "Piece of crap car," "Very economical," "The fix or repair daily car," "Lika professional boxer on wheels," ....and "Good value family transportation."

And now...the latest version of Ford's flagship sedan has been unveiled thus in the pictures.

The differences in specifications are listed here for the 1988 model and over here for the 2010 version.

However, the summary of the main differences is that the 2010 model has been reduced a few inches in height and length and girth, as you can see below!

In my research for this post, I have found out two very interesting facts.

First of all is the fact that Subaru car owners are so loyal to their automaker that, while other car manufacturers are bleeding financial red ink, their preferred express vehicular ride builder came up on the positive side of the red-and-black corporate results dividing line!

Perhaps, other automakers should borrow a page from the following related stories in order to get back into the black on their bottom line ASAP for the long haul - maybe by 2020?

The 50 worst cars of all time.

The Dozen Most Important Cars of All Time

The Auto Industry's Forgotten Legacy: Diversity

The 'Green' Revolution in Cars Dies Off

Finally, the other point to be made is that the color of a car determines how much of the detailing and design perfection is seen clearly by an onlooker.

Compare the 2010 Ford Taurus below with its more red-eyed siblings above. Beautiful, n'est pas?

Lighter colors give more details, while darker colors hide them, even though the darker color makes the whole car look more impressive.

Perhaps, that's why red cars are so hot to the beholder and black-painted vehicles look so mysterious - and relatively few people want their car painted white?

Supercars to blow your mind and deep pockets

2009-01-17T23:36:00.001-08:00

Supercar. Exotic and rare luxury.... Not quite the same thing as a super car for everyone. Most people have a specific reason for purchasing a car.

It could be the pursuit of one-in-town-car uniqueness, good looks, affordability, fuel economy, smooth drive ability, advanced or new technology, comfort and convenience, high pedestrian-onlooker attention quotient, raw power and torque, brand name, or sheer decadence.

I think that sheer decadent pursuit of happiness - "I am better than my neighbor" - would aptly describe why a billionaire would dole out $1 million for a two-seat car that would still skid on a wet patch like any other car, including a $200,000 Ferrari or Porsche or Lamborghini or Corvette!

Of course, you would agree that just looking at such a hunk of metal in your garage would make you feel quite actualized - you made it into high society, you have arrived and reached the peak of your achievement in life, you are somebody and the ladies say so too!

Even if you do not drive it everyday, just looking at the prized car brings your blood pressure down with pleasure.

I remember driving my first sports car and getting to a pothole and a waterlogged section of the road.

I could not bring myself to cross the gauntlet for fear of dirtying the underside and tyres of the car.

An astute older driver in a station wagon - I was holding up traffic - joked to me as he drove past, "Why not carry the car on your head over this bad spot?"

Can you imagine yourself behind the steering wheel of a double supercharged 4.7-liter V-8 engine and revving its throbbing 806 horsepowers through plain old mud - not that I was driving anything other than a new two-door Nissan Sentra at the time?

Anyway, just take a look at these supercars and tell me that you got no healthy rush of pounding blood in your veins:

The topmost pictures showcase the Koenigsegg CCX, the middle one is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, and at the bottom is the Shelby Supercar or SSC Ultimate Aero!

Note that the Koenigsegg CCX can do 0-100mph in 3.2 seconds with 13 liters of fuel and has a top speed of about 395km/h!

New products from latest automobile design black art

2008-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

There will always be new products from the automobile industry, as long as they fulfill a current need and have a utility value for humanity - including an affordable price.

The field of automotive design has been described as a black art because its evolving concepts and theories are still mutating into a yet-undefined law.

Take the case of the latest discovery that strategically placed wedge shapes produce a better - that is, lower - drag coefficient than the beautifully curved and aesthetic shapes of old.

The most graphic example turns out to be the case of the wind tunnel test that the rear of a Porsche was often more aerodynamic than the front - quite an embarrassing reversal of function for such a hallowed automobile industry icon.

That has given birth to the new design concept of aerocorners or angular but aerodynamic shapes, which may turn out to be the lego-like building blocks of future cars - and may actually accelerate the time from basic conception to actual production.

A few aerocorners are shown in the following pictures - the back of a Chevrolet Volt above the license plate, the rear tail lights of the 2010 (the one with the double exhaust pipes) Mazda3, the Chevrolet Traverse, the frontal edges and bulges of the white painted Toyota IQ and FT-HS concept car.

The Carver is quite a totally different kettle of fish. It has only one door and uses a unique tilting system to give a generally pleasurable ride for any road fun seeker with a fat wallet.

Can you imagine a three-wheeler that is both a bike and a motor car, priced at nearly $70,000, and does 0 to 60 mph in nearly nine seconds?

It takes corners like a bike but has room for two more besides the driver and uses a 4-cylinder engine, just like the Lotus Exige, which costs about the same amount to buy!

In other developments in the automobile industry, the 2009 Lotus Exige S 260 weighs in at just about two tons - 2030 pounds or so - and uses a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine without power steering to move from 0 to 60 mph in about four (4) seconds, achieving that with the equivalent of motorbike-thin tyres!

The other thing to look out for in automobile designs in the future is the front grille, which designers have literally turned upside down on its head in order to reduce air drag in the engine compartment - since it is too expensive to completely seal the underbelly of all cars to eliminate drag or reduce the drag coefficient figure.

Some cars with the new grille design include the Ford Ka and Ford Fiesta, shown below:

Delightsome Christmas weekend New Year week treats

2008-12-25T04:24:00.000-08:00

Delightsome. What a word! Definitely British, I got that from the first name of my nephew's new preppy primary school.

Anyway, it serves adequately the introduction to this post about all the things that make Christmas enjoyable.

In my youth, apart from the school holidays and Church related activities, great food and soft drinks and fruit juices played a very memorable role.

I don't know about what some people are saying talking about Christmas really being all about morality and spirituality, in reference to the competing Nativity scenes - or presepio in Italian - to be found in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square and the smaller but equally unique and popular manger presentation by the city's new Mayor at Rome's scenic "....Piazza del Campidoglio, a hilltop square designed by Michelangelo and enclosed by City Hall and the Capitolini museums...."

Christmas is, to me, a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus as the ultimate advocate for man's continued existence on Earth and also a time to be and share with all our friends and loved ones and in peace and harmony with everyone - in preparation for the passing of the annual baton from the outgoing to the New Year.

So, without much further ado and diversions, here is a treat for you - enjoy yourself at the following places:

If you have not yet done your Christmas shopping, and you are in Chicago, the following is a coupling of his and her's shopping/bar destinations that are close enough for a couple to go to in the same car but at different locations simultaneously - I will not venture to decide for you who goes where but the general idea is as follows.

His: Province, 161 N. Jefferson St (near Randolph), 312-669-9900.
Her's: Maria Pinto - chic men's ties... I understand that Michelle Obama might possibly be seen there shopping for her very own 'baby' President.

His: Le Colonial, 937 N. Rush St (between Oak and Walton), 312-255-0088.
Her's: Jake - Moncler jackets....

His: Local Option, 1102 W. Webster Ave (between Clifton and Seminary), 773-348-2008.
Her's: Cotelac - imported French clothing...

His: The Bar, 108 E. Superior St (in the Peninsula, between Rush and Michigan), 312-573-6766.
Her's: Burberry - trench coats and cashmere...

His: Plan B, 1635 N. Milwaukee Ave (between North and Wabansia), 773-252-2680.
Her's: Marc Jacobs - shopping... I hear that Hot Chocolate nearby has enough steaming cocoa to hold the biting Chicago windy cold at bay.

Christmas is always delightful in New York City, the city named twice because it is so nice, according to the zany David Letterman. So, there will be lots of holiday movies to see, especially.

As you would expect, tomorrow at 2:00 PM at the 92Y Tribeca, there will be an expectantly wildly hilarious and rib-cracking laughter-filled and humorous Monty Python double feature and all-you-can-eat Chinese food buffet - 200 Hudson St (at Canal).

In the Walter Reade Theater at the Lincoln Center in New York from December 26 to 31 - for six days - will be a celebration of the movies of Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese, from The Red Balloon, Goodfellas and Casino to Raging Bull (1980) and the classic Taxi Driver - Walter Reade Theater (you are well advised to enter the Lincoln Center at 65th St near Amsterdam to access the theater: call for an automated schedule on 212 875-5600 and the box office can be reached for movie tickets on 212 875-5601.

Before you go for the art show - on through January 24, 2009 at The Piece Process, Anonymous Gallery, 329 Broome St (between Bowery and Chrystie), 646 238-9069 - starring the sketchbook drawings of popular art by Keith Haring, Andrew (Andy) Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, you may want to checkout the unique offering of a body massage, sauna/steam, and a reportedly healthy ice bath at the Espa at The Peninsula Hotel as from New Year's day in 2009: 700 5th Ave (at 55th St), email spapny@peninsula.com or call 212 903-3910 for appointments.

Did you know that there is a Hollywood in Florida? I just found out today that the better known namesake in California is not really unique, except for being the movie capital of the world.

Anyway, there will be an $80 Christmas day buffet at Miami's panoramic ocean view 1 Bleau at the Regent Bal Harbour - open from noon until 8:00 PM on 10295 Collins Ave (N. of 102nd). You can reach the restaurant on 305-455-5460.

Even if you are short of cash - thanks to this vexing global financial crisis that just won't quit - or just want to keep your wallet in your pocket, you can still have some fun free of charge in Miami - do you remember how the very sultry actress Sza-sza Gabor used to call it, almost like "My army"?

Go to the Borscht Film Festival on Friday the 26th of December - we usually call it Boxing Day in Nigeria mainly because major boxing bouts are often held or shown on television - at 9:00 PM for a free screening of six different local Miami neighborhood films at The Tower Theater, 1508 SW. 8th St (at SW. 15th Ave), or call 305-644-3307 for more details first.

Finally, in Miami on New Year's eve, you can watch the homemade fireworks display on far off Ocean Drive free of charge and hassle free with a reservation between 8:00 PM and 1:00 AM on New Year's day at the DoubleGrand Waterclub of the Doubletree Grand Hotel, 1717 N. Bayshore Dr (between 17th and 18th) or call 305-372-0313 for specific details about getting your own RSVP.

By the way, the tips and pictures above are courtesy of The New York Times online edition.

That's all for now. Have a very merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous New Year!

What is happening to the car makers?

2008-12-12T02:17:00.000-08:00

Obviously, not all car manufacturers are in trouble right now. I am speaking specifically about the clearly positive financial result expected of BMW, which I recall made a lot of money earlier on this year, and Honda, which posted a real hands-on-automaker first quarter financial result of $200 million in April 2008 for an industry trend-defying 8% increase.

However, and instructively too, that BMW profit was made largely from automobile financial instrument trading businesses related to its intended takeover bid for the much larger Volkswagen group and not strictly from car or other vehicle sales, while Honda's was made through production of fuel-efficient vehicles and drastically reducing materials costs.

We have all heard about the recent $17 billion loan extended to the Big Three American automobile companies - Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors (GM).

It really seems amazing that Toyota - the maker of the impressively fuel-efficient
and environment-friendly fuel-hybrid Prius and Camry car models - could fall into the same financial and marketing trap as GM, the maker of the gas-guzzling and inefficient Hummer jeep.

I can still remember my first impression of the Hummer H-1, which I saw on the expressway leading into my alternate home city of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

I remember staring at this wide tracked military-style metallic and muscular vehicle and wondering what it was - there were no emblems on it to give an idea of the make or model then.

Then, the H-2 came out, and I knew then what it had been that I had seen in a traffic holdup or jam that day - it is also called 'go-slow' in Nigeria.

Now I know that it got only about 10 miles per gallon - in comparison to the Prius' about 50 mpg - and that even die-hard Hummer lovers - like the 38th California Governor and iconic actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and soccer idol and fashion legend David Beckham - are either abandoning them or switching their fuel systems to use hydrogen!

That said, let me go back to the financial crisis that is threatening to shut down many of the behemoths of the automobile industry. Incidentally, it is really amazing to me how these huge multinational companies were literally caught napping, despite the incredible financial and human resources at their beck and call.

Just in April of last year, Toyota overtook GM as the world's largest car manufacturer when ".....Toyota sold 2.348 million vehicles in the first three months of 2007....General Motors (GM) ...... sold 2.26 million cars and small trucks during the same period.....".

Apparently, everyone seemed to know what could happen in the future but never took the necessary steps for correction.

That seems to have been pointed out in the BBC article linked above in the following excerpt:

[....Toyota has enjoyed strong sales on the back of the success of its pioneering petrol/electricity hybrid, the Prius, and new models of popular car ranges like the Camry Sedan and Corolla.

Meanwhile, its Detroit rival GM has struggled to compete as high fuel prices have driven people away from its trucks and sports utility vehicles.

The American car giant has been forced to cut thousands of jobs and close factories to turn around its business.....]

That was poor results in April 2007 and yet it is still became an auto bailout in December 2008! So what happened to GM? Did its market leader strategy of investing billions of dollars in China fail?

To answer that, let's take a look at Toyota in August 2007 - after the second quarter financial results came out:

[....Despite weak sales in Japan, overall revenues increased 15.7%, to a record $55.7 billion. Earnings grew even faster. Operating profits surged 31.8%, to $5.7 billion yen, while net earnings increased 32.3%, to $4.1 billion...... our highest quarterly results.....]

How did GM fare then? The following excerpts show clearly how wrong the automakers were about their perceptions of the indirect impact of the then ballooning subprime mortgage interest rates problem on the global automakers:

[....In North America, which accounts for about 60% of Toyota's profit, sales rose 15,000, to 762,000 units..... at a time when rivals in Detroit are suffering sales losses at home. From January to July, the Big Three's sales fell 8.7%, compared to a 6.2% rise at Toyota...

Some analysts have pointed to the subprime mortgage sector's impact on equity markets as a possible negative for car sales in the U.S. But Toyota downplayed the significance. "We have to be vigilant, but judging from the overall economic conditions any substantial downturn in the U.S. auto market doesn't seem warranted," says Suzuki. "We expect the market to be more or less on a par with last year."....]

Oh boy, was Mr. Suzuki driving in the wrong direction and, as the auto industry industry market leader then, taking the others along via herd instinct!

Currently, the most recent picture of the global automobile industry has been painted gloomily as follows, as of November 5, 2008:

[..... BMW admitted a sharp fall in profits and Jaguar announced plans to extend its voluntary redundancy scheme to up to 600 staff. The German luxury car manufacturer blamed weakening global economies and falling consumer spending for third-quarter profits down by 63 per cent to €298m (£241m) on sales down by 4.2 per cent....Meanwhile, in the UK, Jaguar Land Rover is extending its voluntary redundancy scheme after last month's request for 198 volunteers was heavily over-subscribed...... The offer.... is of a lump-sum payment of nine months' pay......

Last month, the company responded to falling production levels by offering staff three months' leave in exchange for a 20 per cent pay cut.....

From the US, General Motors reported October sales down by nearly half from last year, while Porsche's US figures for the month came in at 39 per cent down. In the UK, GKN, the parts manufacturer, is axing 1,400 jobs worldwide and cutting full-year profit predictions to some 20 per cent lower than 2007. And Nissan is stopping production of the Micra at its flagship Sunderland factory for several weeks.

Peugeot Citroë*saw sales slump by 5.2 per cent in its third quarter, and is predicting a 17 per cent contraction of the total European car market. In Japan, Nissan reported overall profits down by 39 per cent last quarter, while Suzuki and Fuji Heavy Industries, which makes Subaru cars, have also reported sluggish profits.....]

Car sales giving way to new joints

2008-12-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

The global financial crisis has hit a raw nerve in the luxury car industry. The big three auto manufacturers in the US are experiencing low car sales and are consequently screaming out for more funds.

Ford hopes for $9 billion but vows to go electric to recharge its bottomline, Chrysler expects $7 billion, and GM needs $18 billion or so - some other news sources say $12 billion!

I had wanted to make this post a focus on Lamborghini but the latest circumstances above have pre-empted that move somewhat, I thought.

So, what's left? Well, how about getting some great food into your stomach, some new seasonal clothing, and a leak proof hotel roof over your head while waiting for the bad financial weather to blow away ASAP?

If you are in New York City, and happen to be an UrbanDaddy or 'urban daddy' - like a sugar daddy or nouveau riche or baby boomer - head to Shang, "...the new Big Chinese restaurant at the freshly minted Thompson LES hotel,...under the dark, sexy lights of a new player in the urban-resort shuffle..." - 187 Orchard (between Houston and Stanton), reservation lines ...at 212 260-7900.

Or, you could move over later to Joey's Italian Cafe in Wynwood - 2506 NW. 2nd Ave (between 25th and 26th), 305-438-0488 - and "....order the carbonara pizza, served on a focaccia-like crust instead of pasta....".

The slush is back in Chicago this year already, so, unless you want to see why common knowledge has it that leather and water don't mix well unless in an African pot of soup, you would need to go for made-to-measure shoes like those available at Mt. Prospect-based "...Tauer & Johnson ... at Andrea Vangna..." - 306 S. Dearborn St, 773-431-0779; and by appointment at 3341 N. Broadway, 773-525-6199. Keep in mind that these kind of shoes would set you back $400 to $600 but the step forward on your way out would have a definite lively spring to it.

If that last effort would make your wallet feel less crammed, well, there is The Ugly Sweater Store, if you are inclined to make such a trip over here.

This is not a sponsored post; I am just introducing you to some luxury that I certainly cannot afford right now. What's better than window shopping therapy for a spendthrift? Ha-ha...

If you are in Los angeles, I have it on good authority that Cole's - 118 E. Sixth St (at Main), Downtown, 213-622-4090 - is open on "....Thursday for drinks and ballet dancers, Friday for 75-cent Dewar's or Saturday for one-dollar sandwiches, sides and wedges of pie....."

And if you happen to be in San Francisco, try out the dishes from the world-class and Emmy-award winning chef at rustic "....Bottega (Italian for "artist's studio"), chef Michael Chiarello's casual Napa eatery, dishing out rustic Italian and local wines...." - 6525 Washington St, Yountville, taking reservations ... at 707-945-1050.

LuminaireX is the new pop-up in Miami's Design District - 161 NE. 40th St, Suite 201 (between 1st and 2nd Ave), 305-576-5788 - and you would do well to go shopping there for global art as personal keepsakes or gifts.

Note: all pictures above courtesy of The New York Times.

Star Ferraris ridden by stars

2008-11-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

Ferrari is a luxury sports car. No question about that. It is probably one of the most celebrated speedsters on the motorway ever, with the possible exception of an Aston Martin.

The hands-on differences between the Ferrari and the Aston Martin were clearly showcased in the old television series The Persuaders, starring Tony Curtis as the American playboy Danny Wilde - frequenter of Monte Carlo's Le Truccadero Discotheque in a red left-hand drive Ferrari Dino 206 - and Roger Moore as the suave Lord Brett Sinclair - with a beautiful girl to do his laundry regularly and also a crime fighter in his Bahama Yellow Aston Martin DBS.

One more thing: "....In Italy "The persuaders" was called "Attenti a quei due" (it means something like "Pay attention to that two")and was an incredible success....." Didn't you just love those ankle length Arabian-style sleep wear usually donned by Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde?

More on the sexy cult television classic, which, in my opinion, was perfect for bringing on board some suave humor from his earlier charming portrayal of The Saint as Simon Templar and prepared Roger Moore ultimately for his popular James Bond image later on:

[.....Brett Sinclair drove an Aston (which appeared to be a V8 but was actually a straight-six on V8 alloys) with the false registration number BS 1. Danny Wilde used a red, left-hand-drive Ferrari 206 Dino which was, apparently, horrendously unreliable. The cars were intrinsic to the glamorous international appeal of the show (the opening episode featured an exciting race between the two cars on Riviera roads) which would have gone down a storm in the States if it hadn't clashed with 'Mission Impossible'. Each episode cost £100,000 to make.....]

Then there was the HardCastle and McCormick television series with McCormick scooting around in the Judge's the Coyote, which always semed to me to be a special edition Ferrari Dino.

Oh, oh, that wasn't a Ferrari but a custom made souped up Chevy V-8 Corvette? Actually, The Coyote is a bit confusing.
However, here is its true automotive genealogy: "....a Coyote, which was a custom vehicle built on a VW frame with a Porsche 914 engine in it for the first season. After the first season the car was built on a DeLorean frame....."

But of course there were the very real Ferraris: from the ultimate private investigator's Ferrari 308 GTS of Magnum P.I. in Oahu, Hawaii to Don Johnson's Ferrari 365 GTB 4 Daytona Spyder and Ferrari Testarossa in Miami Vice's Florida.

Those were the truly beautiful cars in the Ferrari model stables. Now there is the impressionable Ferrari California- yes, your impression about it will make you decide on what to do with it. Ha-ha.

Upon seeing it from the rear, my first thought was that it was a bug-eyed creature inviting me to ask, "Where's the front end?"

However, it is a nice-not-sexy automobile design in the end, especially since that thick rump would keep it glued to the road surface going flat out at 180 mph, if you can really find the freeway free these days for longer than thirty minutes at a time....
I must say that I simply love that layered vertical alignment of the two exhaust pipes. Vrooom....throttle....zap...I am gone from this post....

Aston Martin steps up to bat in V8 racing

2008-11-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the Aston Martin DB5 used by James Bond, 007? It was auctioned off some decades ago with all the fabulous movie-version specifications intact.

I have forgotten how much it was sold for but all those special gadgets in it stuck in my mind - the extender tyre cutting wheel cover cap, the three-number rotating plate number, the rear-oil slick producer, and so on.

Aston Martin has been the major British answer to the World touring super car motor racing, while the Grand Prix or grand prize Formula 1 racing is also an annual worldwide organized racing circuit event ranking above the touring super car motor racing category in the motorsports world.

Anyway, back to the present with the Dubai-launched awesome looking $144,000.00 and 1,330 Kilogram 2009 4.7L V8 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 by Aston Martin Racing.

Incidentally, the new and huge bear-catlike, in my humble opinion, Aston Martin Vantage GT2 is a 4.3L V8 that develops up to 480 horsepower and is in the same racing class as the Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs, Ferrari F430 GTCs, and BMW M3 GTRs.

Ahem...one really must say something about Aston Martin paint jobs these days. Yellow on black? Too garish for me, in comparison to just classic balack on yellow.

Red on white? Ha-ha... looks like a young lady's first smudged kiss or something...What happened to the attractive DB5 grey? Yes, businesslike gray but still attractive, in my humble opinion.

Car that will turn heads in 2009

2008-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Automakers are still delighting both drivers and onlookers alike with their stunning creations and vehicle accessories.

Take, for example, the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. You cannot get a better review of an automobile than that without going to Car and Driver, Motor Trends, and so on.

I certainly do not have anywhere close to $100,000 in my pockets right now and I hate the concept of installmental payments for a pile of junk-metal-to-be, no matter how gorgeously the rust bucket has been kitted out, shaped, or painted.

When I saw the picture of the ZR1, I was stunned because I had thought it was a Ferrari! Boy, has the Corvette come a long way, baby...

638 hp and 0 to 60 mph of 3.4 secs! Recall that the speed limit in many places is still 55 mph, while this hot rod of a car does that driving only in gear one...

The equivalent of 638 horsepower is a power plant rated at (746 Watts/hp x 638hp) or about 476 kW!

For the sake of comparison, a normal household clothes iron uses only about 1.2 kW at the linen setting,,,

Let me pick off some of the salient specs of this stylish exotic car for your information.

Specifications include monitoring system for all four tyres/tires, hidden integral antenna, 6.2 liter V8 engine, and 19-inch wheels in front and 20-inch wheels with the rear tires/tyres!

I can remember the early 1990s when the latest Corvettes had 17-inch wheels and I had thought those were the rage in automobiles...

With those huge 19-inch aluminum/aluminium wheels on the ZR1, you could climb practically any curbside or ride out any number of pot-holed bad roads, if the low-hung front fenders were removed.