] People driving or riding in a sport utility vehicle in
] 2003 were nearly 11 percent more likely to die in an
] accident than people in cars, the figures show. The
] government began keeping detailed statistics on the
] safety of vehicle categories in 1994.

I really cannot conceive of SUVs as the root of all evil of the auto industry. If anything, that title should belong to policy makers who refuse to hike min mpg requirements or lobbyists who insist that making such policy would send the U.S. back into little more than primordial ooze (technically speaking). If they could more than double the average mpg from 12 mpg in '72 to 24 mpg in '82, they can sure as hell stack on some additional efficiency now without flushing the economy.

Rightly so, however, many of the arguments for high mpg center around the atrociously heavy SUV; SUVs are pulling down the average mpg as they rise in popularity while Congress continually defeats laws that would raise the minimum average mpg or demand tighter safety restrictions (like mandatory side-curtain airbags). However, the trend seems to be subtly shifting from giant behemoths like the Tahoe and Expedition to more car-like vehicles with comparable weight, height, and location of center-of-gravity. I was standing next to a new Lexus SUV the other day and noticed that it was shorter than me (5'3”). It's chassis is from a car, not a truck, and as such the weight and location of the center-of-gravity are greatly reduced, the benefits of which contribute greatly to fuel efficiency and rollover resistance (respectively).

However, with the current standing in Congress, things just aren't going to change. Benefits to fuel-efficient drivers are expiring while tax breaks for land-barge drivers are increasing. And that's just the trouble with consumption; there's hasn't been a "call to arms" for fuel efficiency increase since the 70s. And, even in places where legislation is making the giant leap towards energy efficiency, some of the enforcers are being held up by their own biases; check out the link for an article entitled "California's SUV Ban: The Golden State has outlawed big SUVs on many of its roads but doesn't seem to know it."

So, before its too late, I hope the policy makers, automakers and consumers seek to narrow the gap between SUVs and cars before the decline in oil production does it for us.

http://slate.msn.com/id/2104755

Safety Gap Grows Wider Between S.U.V.'s and Cars

] In a far cry from the high-minded ideals of humanity and
] tolerance embodied by the Olympics, the organizers of the
] Athens games have warned spectators that they could be
] barred for taking a surreptitious sip of Pepsi or an
] illicit bite from a Burger King Whopper.

And the Olymipics will crash and burn in 3....2....1 games from now. Apparently, the IOC doesn't see the entire lack of attendees to the games as a show stopper for the "ambush marketers".

SBN

] TOKYO, Aug. 19 - Miyoko Watai, the freshly minted fiancée
] of Bobby Fischer, the imprisoned American chess master,
] admitted Thursday that he might be using her as "a pawn"
] in an effort to counter the Japanese authorities' opening
] move.
]
] "I could be a sacrifice pawn," conceded Ms. Watai, 59,
] the acting president of the Japan Chess Association. She
] had put on an orange flowered print dress to meet
] reporters and explain Tuesday's sudden faxed statement
] that she and Mr. Fischer, 61, were in love and wanted to
] marry.
]
] "But in chess there is such a thing as pawn promotion,
] where a pawn can become a queen," said Ms. Watai, four
] times women's chess champion in Japan. Breaking into a
] smile, she vowed: "Bobby-san is my king, and I will
] become his queen. We want to win the game by joining
] hands."

Bobby Fischer is a pretty twisted human being. He renounces America, denies the Holocaust, and pledges (HEIL!) his loyalty to Germany all before deciding to marry an exceptionally diluted Japanese woman.

Sounds like there's needs to be a new "Search" for Bobby Fischer.

-janelane

Chess Is Her Passion and, She Declares, So Is Bobby-San

What follows is an excerpt from an email I received today regarding a class action suit against Paypal (the formatting errors appeared in the email). I would have copied from the website, but it is apparently not taking requests at this time.

Paypal, for those out at sea since 1999, allows you to make credit card or checking account payments over the internet.* Its a great way to pay Ebay sellers or make online donations without airing your financial information like dirty laundry.

] 3. WHAT IS THIS LAWSUIT ABOUT?
]
] In early 2002, Plaintiffs Roberta Toher and Jeffrey
] Resnick filed separate lawsuits against PayPal, Inc.
] These two cases were later consolidated into one lawsuit
] in the United States District Court for the Northern
] District of California, San Jose Division, entitled In re
] PayPal Litigation, Case No. CV 02 01227-JF (PVT). The
] lawsuit alleges that PayPal violated the federal
] Electronic Fund Transfer Act ("EFTA"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1693
] et seq., including provisions requiring PayPal to supply
] customers with information about dispute resolution
] procedures and to follow certain procedures when
] investigating complaints of unauthorized or incorrect
] electronic fund transfers. For example, the lawsuit
] claims that PayPal did not provide account statements in
] the manner required by the EFTA. The lawsuit further
] alleges that PayPal has placed inappropriate restrictions
] or other limits on customers' accounts and engaged in
] other improper practices. Based on these practices, the
] lawsuit asserts
]
] claims under California state law
]
] w for conversion, money had and received, negligence, and
] violations of consumer protection statutes.
]
]
] PayPal does not believe that it did anything wrong. In
] fact, PayPal disputes that the EFTA, originally passed in
] 1978, applies to its business. PayPal denies any and all
] liability for the claims alleged in the lawsuit. The
] Court did not decide in favor of the Plaintiffs or
] PayPal. Instead, beginning in the fall of 2003, the
] parties began a series of settlement negotiation sessions
] mediated by United States Magistrate Judge Edward
] Infante. Eventually, in November 2003, both sides agreed
] to a settlement in principle. By settling their claims,
] both parties avoided the uncertainty and cost of a trial.
] The settlement provides money and other benefits to the
] Class. On June 11, 2004, the parties entered into a
] formal, written Settlement Agreement, which is on file
] with the Court and available on the Internet at
] https://www.paypal.com/settlement/. By entering into the
] Settlement Agreement, PayPal is not admitting any
] wrongdoing. PayPal continues to believe that it did not
] do anything wrong. The Representative Plaintiffs
] and the attorneys appointed by the Court to
] represent the Class believe that the settlement is fair
] to Class Members. By this notice, the Court is not
] expressing any view on the merits of the lawsuit.

*alright, so my laymen's definition probably sucks, but c'mon...I'm an ME for crying out loud. :-)

Paypal: Notice of Pendency of Class Action and Proposed Settlement

] MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) -- Mexico's attorney
] general said on Monday he had had a microchip inserted
] under the skin of one of his arms to give him access to a
] new crime database and also enable him to be traced if he
] is ever abducted.

Egads! The government is fully encouraged to implant a microchip over my cold, lifeless body, but not sooner, and certainly not by my request.

CNN.com - Mexico attorney general gets microchip implant - Jul 13, 2004

] The NAACP received a letter from the White House three
] weeks ago declining the invitation because of scheduling
] conflicts and thanking them for understanding.
]
] The letter was signed by presidential scheduler Melissa
] Bennett.

I hope to God the African-American voters don't turn the other cheek.

I like the last paragraph best:

"White House spokesman Jim Morrell said Wednesday that the president has spoken about "equal opportunity and equal rights for all Americans" in many public places."

i.e. words /= actions

CNN.com - Bush declines NAACP invitation - Jul 8, 2004

Kerry + Edwards = Hedgehog?

CNN.com - Kerry names Edwards his running mate - Jul 6, 2004

] BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's interim prime minister said
] Tuesday the fledgling government "is currently
] negotiating" with coalition authorities for the handover
] of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to its custody.
] ...
] "Definitely, we'll be trying our best to get custody of
] Saddam and the other criminals. We have so far some
] definite promises from the coalition that this would be
] the case," said Allawi.
]
] He said he was told of the promises by coalition
] authorities in Baghdad, but said details are being worked
] out "within the U.S. administration."
] ...
] Pentagon officials responded that U.S. forces will hold
] Saddam and thousands of Iraqi detainees before and after
] the transfer of power to the Iraqi government on June 30.
]
] Officials said they were not aware of any immediate plans
] calling for the United States to hand over Saddam or any
] of the detainees until details of that transfer are
] worked out.
] ...
] Saddam was captured by U.S. troops December 13 near his
] ancestral home of Tikrit, where he was hiding in a
] "spider hole." U.S. officials have described Saddam as
] being less than cooperative during his interrogations.
]
] At this time, no charges have been filed against him.

The Geneva Convention stipulates that that "[p]risoners of war shall be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities," (Article 118, http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/91.htm). However, it does not then go onto to define "active hostilities". Thus, until the daily carbombings which protest our occupation and could be construed as "active hostilities" cease, the Iraqi POWs could be conceivably detained indefinitely. Worse, since the probability that every act of resistance against the US is halted when US occupation ends is infinitesimal, and the forseeable longevity of our occupation is infinite, it appears we have a probability of 1 : infinitesimal*infinite that the POWs will ever be repatriated.

From Bush's perspective, this has got to be even better than the loop hole that kept the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.

CNN.com - Allawi: Iraq negotiating for Saddam - Jun 15, 2004

] It's okay...she's rich!

Anti-Bush ads. I've only managed to comb through a few, but the contest winner is definintely worth a look.

-janelane

Bush in 30 Seconds

] At the same time, it's not entirely surprising, given the
] backlash the retailer faced last year that eventually
] forced it to pull the plug on the A&F quarterlies that
] featured nude "teenage-looking" models in highly
] suggestive poses.
]
] Meanwhile, advocacy groups such a Citizens for Community
] Values (CCV) say that while the new publication is "much
] improved" over the past, it's still unacceptable to them.
]
] "The young book is the first response from the
] Abercrombie after they ended the quarterly. But we find
] that they're still pushing the envelope," said Bill
] Johnson, president of CCV.

The "Citizens for Community Values"? WTF? And God forbid someone push the envelope. Geez, if people did that all the time, why there'd be innovations left and right! Dang nappit!

-janelane

A&F cleans up its act with new publication called 'young'