Monthly Archives: November 2013


The leaked Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty shows why these negotiations should never…

The leaked Trans-Pacific Partnership treaty shows why these negotiations should never EVER happen in private

Because the TPP like ACTA before it has been negotiated in secret, lobbyists for entrenched business interests have been able to push for dramatically increased intellectual property enforcement when we should be doing the opposite. These moves would be terrible for the public and only benefit big businesses like pharmaceutical companies and the entertainment industry. This treaty must be rejected. ?

US patent moves are ‘profoundly bad’ in leaked TPP treaty
The year’s most controversial secret treaty just became very, very public. WikiLeaks has posted a full copy of the Trans-Pacific Partnership proposals from this August, revealing many provisions…


Looks like I timed my vehicle maintenance perfectly as we're getting our first… 1

Looks like I timed my vehicle maintenance perfectly as we're getting our first snow of the season tonight

Last week I replaced the battery in Mustang and this past weekend I got 4 new Michelin Defenders installed. My old nearly worn out Contis were definitely feeling squirrelly during some recent rains and this new rubber felt much more in control on the way home tonight. In the dry this morning, they also felt a lot better and certainly ran a lot quieter.?

www.michelinman.com/mediabin/Approved/Michelin/Visuals/Digital/tire-defender-hero.png


Robonaut is getting some legs

When I worked at GM for a while, one of my responsibilities was storytelling about the humanoid robot developed by +NASA and the automaker. At the time, R2 only had a torso and some remarkably capable hands.  
Robonaut 2 Demonstration at Kennedy Space Center

Early next year, R2 is finally getting legs so it can get around the International Space Station on its own. ?

NASA shows off Robonaut’s gigantic new legs ahead of 2014 upgrade (video)
NASA’s Robonaut assistant is about to get its biggest upgrade yet… and we do mean big. As part of a preview at ABC News, the space agency has revealed


For Dan Coats or anyone else to claim that ENDA should not be passed on 1st amendment…

For Dan Coats or anyone else to claim that ENDA should not be passed on 1st amendment grounds is absolutely wrong

When conservatives say that they should be allowed to discriminate against homosexual or transgender people in hiring on religious grounds is no different than those who cited bible scripture as justifying slavery.

I have no issue with you practicing whatever religion you want as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. Just as the government cannot impose religion on us, none of should be allowed to impose our beliefs on others. Freedom is a two-way street. ?

GOP Senator: ENDA Violates Religious Freedoms Of Anti-LGBT Businesses
Just one Republican senator publicly voiced opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that would make it illegal to fire an employee based on sexual orientation or gender identity. During the week the Senate was given to debate the legislation, the lone GOP gripe was that it violates the religious freedoms of for-profit businesses who do not want to employ lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.”The legislation before us r…


J Mays is retiring at the end of the year and +Gizmodo looks at some of the influential…

J Mays is retiring at the end of the year and +Gizmodo looks at some of the influential designs he was part of?

5 Retrofuturistic Designs That Helped J Mays Reshape the Automobile
Ford Motor Company announced this week that top designer J Mays is retiring. In his 33-year career and 16-year tenure at Ford, Mays ushered in the era of retrofuturistic styling that other car companies scrambled to follow. Here, we look back at five of his vehicles that steered the shape of automotive design.


Käthe Lowe has been the proud owner of a 1966 Ford T-5 fastback since November 1965…

Käthe Lowe has been the proud owner of a 1966 Ford T-5 fastback since November 1965 and still drives it regularly today

What is a T-5 you might ask?  It's a +Ford Motor Company  Mustang sold in Germany in the 1960s and 70s when truckmaker Krupp owned the rights to the Mustang name.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/10/16/when-is-a-ford-mustang–not-a-mustang–when-its-a-ford-t5.html?


Believe it or not, the 1989 Probe was not the last time +Ford Motor Company considered…

Believe it or not, the 1989 Probe was not the last time +Ford Motor Company considered a front-wheel-drive Mustang

Before finally settling in on the heavily revised Fox platform for the 1994 model, they considered using the Escort as a basis for a Mustang. Surprisingly they couldn't find a way to squeeze the upcoming 4.6-liter V8 under the sloping hood.?

The Front-Wheel Drive Ford Mustangs That Never Were – Rumor Central


The +Ford Motor Company #Mustang wagon is an idea that just won't die* 2

The +Ford Motor Company #Mustang wagon is an idea that just won't die*

As a fan of Mustangs and wagons I'm just fine with that. The Mustang wagon goes back to the mid-60s when Ford designers came up with numerous proposals, several of which even became running prototypes

Reshared post from +Automobile Magazine

Strand Craft USA, a company that normally produces high-end yachts, has ambitions to create a one-off station wagon version of the Shelby GT500. Do you think they should build it?

http://bit.ly/16pAo3M?


I suspect the estimate of 30 million enslaved people is way low? 1

I suspect the estimate of 30 million enslaved people is way low?

Breadth of modern slavery exposed by sobering new report
Nearly 30 million people across the world are currently living in slavery, according to a report published Thursday. The inaugural Global Slavery Index, compiled by the Walk Free Foundation,…