If you’ve watched him on television, it would be easy to mistake Jeff Corwin for an intellectual light-weight– a kind of peppy Preppy class clown and animal lover. But such a characterization would surely sell Corwin short. In this November 2009 release, Corwin (who in fact has a master’s degree in wildlife conservation from the University of Massachusetts) tells the heart-breaking tales of the 100 Heartbeat club, which refers to endangered species who have fewer than 100 living members.
By focusing each short chapter on a particular endangered species and alternating success stories of species that have been brought back from the brink of extinction (for instance the American eagle) with tales of species who still very much need to be saved, Corwin is able to teach the basics of wildlife conservation in a very readable and easy to comprehend way. I was fascinated by the plight of tigers in Asia and tales of prairie dogs in the American heartland. I was particularly impressed by the many stories which stress that species can only be saved when many people and all stake-holders join together to take action. While Corwin does not in any way downplay global warming or the terrible urgency of the current crisis, his tone nonetheless is upbeat and invites the reader to participate in preserving our biological diversity, rather than despairing the many species that have already been lost. If you care about wild animals, 100 Heartbeats is Highly Recommended.
Sometimes, you meet an author — whether by email or in person — who is just so incredibly cool that you know that hanging out with them would be incredibly fun. Lauren Mechling is one of those authors. I want to go to New York City and just hang out with her for a day. I suppose it helps that I liked her two books, Dream Girl and Dream Life, too. At any rate, I was tickled that she agreed to answer my 10 questions.
MF: So, I’m curious: what was the initial inspiration for Claire and the Dream books?
LM:The inspiration came when I went with a very dear friend to visit her grandmother. She’s a former socialite who now lives in a hotel with a lot of other former socialites, and she has an opinion on every little thing. Her granddaughter is the apple of her eye and I was so amused watching the two of them relate to each other I wanted to play around with this relationship. I also wanted to write a series that was action-packed and funny. Not enough of those these days, in my humble opinion.
MF:I’ve only been to NYC once and didn’t explore much, so I couldn’t help but wondering: how much of Claire’s physical world is real and how much is made up?
LM: It’s entirely real! The only made-up part is how quickly she can get around.
MF: Seriously? You ought to give Claire Voyante tours. I’d sign up for one! Fashion plays a big part in Claire’s life, from Kiki’s vintage clothing (love that!) to current trends… is that something you came up solely for the character or the book, or is fashion something you personally are interested in? (I’m not sure that’s the best way to phrase this question, but hopefully you get what I’m trying to say….)
LM: I DO get what you’re trying to say. And yes, guilty as charged: I’m a sucker for clothes. I especially like the way Claire and the other girls use clothes–not to dress up for boys or to show the world how cool they are because they have 56 pairs of Juicy sweatpants. They use clothes as a way to stand out and be unique and, in Claire’s case, to connect to her family history. By wearing her grandmother’s old frocks, she’s closer to her grandmother. And speaking of her grandmother, one of the things Kiki teaches Claire is it’s worth it to make the effort, even when the same old T-shirt-and-yoga-pants combo seems tempting. I think it affects your mood and the mood of those around you. Walking out of the house in a vintage dress and fun pair of flats is a small way of saying, “Hello, world! I care!”
MF: I totally loved Ian in this book: I actually felt bad that he and Claire are just friends. (I suppose I just have a soft spot for the geeky guys.) Do you have a favorite character or scene?
LM: Oh, that’s so funny that you heart Ian. I have to say, I’m a little in love with Louis Ibbits, the latchkey kid who’s Claire’s old best friend and whose wit is even drier than Claire’s. Plus I love his tortoiseshell glasses.
MF: If you had a magic dream-inhancing necklace, what would you want to see?
LM: I’d want to see all the good and bad things the people I know are up to. I just wouldn’t want to hear them talking about me. That would be too much to bear.
MF: What are the differences between co-writing a book, and solo-writing? Pros/cons?
LM: Writing a book on your own is harder and the ultimate feeling of accomplishment is bigger. That said, I LOVE co-writing. Laura [my 10th Grade Social Climber series co-writer] and I are actually in the middle of a collaboration and it’s so fun. I love having a personal trainer to praise you when you hit a good note and to breathe down your neck and make you write every morning.
MF: You’ve written for newspapers, magazines and novels… do you have a favorite format to write in?
LM: Oh, it’s all really fun and it all fits together. Writing a book is a MAJOR undertaking. And writing an article, be it for a newspaper or a magazine, is so fast and short in comparison. Sometimes you need the instant gratification. and sometimes you want to be playful and expansive or you just don’t want to have to worry about being “accurate.” I can honestly say that doing each makes me appreciate all the upsides of the other format.
MF: Who or what inspires you to write?
LM: Me. I get very unhappy when I don’t write.
MF: Are there five books you think everyone should read?
LM: How about five authors I adore: Barbara Pym, Laurie Colwin, Dorothy Parker, Kate Atkinson and Sarah Waters. I realize these are not YA authors, so I’ll toss in: Norma Klein.
MF: I’m remiss: I’ve only heard of Dorothy Parker. Something to rectify in the future. If you don’t mind telling us, what’s up next for you? (More Claire?)
LM: Well, I’m working on that above mentioned project with Laura. And yes, I’d really like to write a third Claire book. Se’s really come into her own — she’s so much wiser and less insecure than she was in her first book. I’m dying to know how she’s holding up!
You need a large supply of digestive enzymes to process food as it passes through your intestines. Here’s how they work:
The food you put into your mouth is a complex mixture of large organic molecules — macromolecules. There are fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, along with vitamins, minerals, and other components.
To absorb these nutrients into your bloodstream, you’ve got to break these large molecules down into smaller bits.
Fortunately, your system has evolved sophisticated chemical engineering to accomplish just that. While you’re polishing off your latest meal, digestive enzymes are pouring into your small intestine (from your liver, pancreas, and gall bladder) to break down the large macromolecules into easily absorbable smaller pieces.
These digestive enzymes are specialized proteins, each designed to break apart a specific type of molecule in your food.
All too often, diminished levels of your normal digestive enzymes are the root cause of less-than-optimal digestive function. Here are a few of the many common reasons that your enzymes might be depleted.
A generally unbalanced diet, without the right mix of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
Inadequate vitamin or mineral intake
Poor eating habits — rushing through meals, not chewing thoroughly
Exposure to artificial food additives, colorings, and preservatives
The aging process — as you advance into middle age, a certain degree of enzyme depletion becomes almost inevitable
With all these possible factors contributing to enzyme depletion, it’s no wonder that minor digestive complaints are so common.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps you can take today to make sure your digestive tract has maximal support to do its job. It begins when you take your first bite. Read more from Dr. Joseph Mercola.
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ScienceDaily (Feb. 8, 2010) — Consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Although relatively rare, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most deadly, and only 5 percent of people who are diagnosed are alive five years later.
Mark Pereira, Ph.D., senior author on the study and associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, said people who consume soft drinks on a regular basis, defined as primarily carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages, tend to have a poor behavioral profile overall.
However, the effect of these drinks on pancreatic cancer may be unique.
“The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,” said Pereira.
For the current study, Pereira and colleagues followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not.
No association was seen between fruit juice consumption and pancreatic cancer.
Pereira said that these results from Singapore are likely applicable to the United States.
“Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent health care. Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries,” said Pereira.
Susan Mayne, Ph.D., associate director of the Yale Cancer Center and professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, said these study results are intriguing but have some key limitations that should be considered in any interpretation.
“Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it is a causal association or not. Soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can’t accurately control for,” said Mayne, an editorial board member of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Pereira points out that the findings are biologically plausible, held up in non-smokers, remained similar after taking other dietary habits into account and are consistent with findings in Caucasian populations.
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Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on February 9, 2010
The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.
Market Scan for small cap stocks
at the close of the markets on February 5, 2010
The table below identifies the stocks returned on my scan of the US markets for small capitalizations stocks likely to display the characteristics of stocks entering Phase II, as described by Stan Weinstein.
On UC Berkeley’s campus Tuesday, Juliet Christian-Smith from the Pacific Institute will be speaking along with David Zoldoske from Fresno. There is no abstract yet, but hopefully it will be be informative. If you have questions, put them in the comments and I will try to ask one or two and write up the details tomorrow…
Jack Ceadel over at Global Water Intelligence wonders what is going on:
Mostly we talk about market consolidation, but over the past decade, the reverse has been happening in the desalination industry. Growth has sucked more and more players into the industry, to the extent that the market leaders have actually been losing market share. It is such an unusual phenomenon that I am not sure there is a word for it. I call it market proliferation.
No Jack, it’s called profit seeking, as in… businesses with extraordinary profits attract entrants, and these entrants drive down profits for incumbents.
“California’s Central Valley will be the Appalachia of the West” says the Economist. It won’t be if California’s scarce water is traded at market prices, instead of allocated to historic users. That’s the fastest way to maximize the value of our scarce asset. No change will merely enrich a few while producing crops (and goods and services) is lesser value.
Speaking of precious resources, this conservative pundit says that “economic growth depends strongly on an expanding population.” He goes on to equate more babies with more prosperity. I’ve got four objections to his line:
He’s got it backwards: More prosperity leads to more babies, and even that trend has its limits.*
“Growth is good” depends on your acceptance of GDP as a measure of happiness, which it isn’t. (It measures trade in the cash economy.)
He’s missing the (negative) environmental impact of more people.
Many economic “problems” with smaller populations result from Ponzi scheme policies that require the young to pay for the old (as with social security). Those polices can be reformed, defusing “demographic timebombs.”
Bottom Line: Many of our problems result from the perverse incentives of bad policies, not human stupidity or natural constraints.
BEST:Speaking of Australia — water markets Down Under. Now I am here, and I’m planning to meet with Mike Young (and others) to learn more about water. Speaking of Down Under, here’s more evidence of global warming:
Emily Green tells how Pat Mulroy’s obsession for imported water and growth got too sloppy and hit the wall (a recent court ruling that may undo 20 years of Mulroy’s maneuvers.)
Aquadoc lambasts water cliches. I’ll drink to that!
Stanford gets into the water research business (groundwater and re-use). I’d bet my lunch that they just got a grant funded; let’s see if they have IMPACT
Russ Roberts talks about many economic questions with Mike Munger. Their first topic (6 min) is water sanitation — Mike is horrified that toilet use potable water — but the other topics are also interesting. This talk with Mike Spence on development is EXCELLENT.
Speaking of toilets, here’s how the toilet on the 110th floor works.
In this interview, Mike Young talks good sense about water in Australia and elsewhere. Listen to him! He also says that reclaimed water is better than desal.
Today I finished King Leopold’s Ghost, a book about the Belgian king’s ruthless exploitation of the people living in Congo (then Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo). The story is one of a colonial owner using force and cruelty to extract wealth (ivory, slaves, rubber) from vulnerable land and people. Rape and pillage was the norm, and the white colonials who raped, maimed and pillaged justified their acts by claiming that the natives were not human and the land was without owners. 10 million people died during Leopold’s regime of terror (about 1880 to 1910). Unfortunately, that pattern was repeated in many colonies — in the same period and even in recent years.
James Cameron’s Avatar is a movie worth watching for its fabulous visual effects (and even the love story), but the plot echoes the colonial story: Earthlings invade another planet to get a valuable mineral (”unobtanium” is its cartoon name). Along the way, the natives are seen as beasts and Nature raped.
Of course, this is Hollywood and it includes a love story and happy ending. Formerly colonized people on this planet did not get the Holly-Happy ending. The Belgians established a pattern of corruption and lawlessness and a system for concentrating and abusing power that local “leaders” have adopted, with poor results for their “free” brothers and sisters.
Addendum:Here’s a “Pandora” view on dams and rivers.
Bottom Line: People are much quicker to destroy what’s not theirs and abuse people who are powerless. Stronger property rights and human rights are the key to the sustainable use of resources and progress in human development. I give the book and movie FIVE stars each.
Restore the Delta revealed this week that Phil Isenberg, chairman of the Delta Vision group - the supposedly objective group that recommended the Peripheral Canal - lobbies for a Southern California water district. In other words, the man tasked with finding a solution to the destruction of the Delta works for an agency that benefits from the destruction of the Delta.
Bottom Line: It’s hard to remain objective (or be perceived as objective) when you are getting paid by one side of a dispute that you are mediating.
…and here are five more ideas for solving collective action problems (see yesterday’s post) that caught my eye.
Anna O. suggested that carbon taxes be introduced, and that revenue used to offset a end to/reduction in income taxes for people making less than $22,500/up to $77,500, respectively. I liked this idea because the majority (of voters) would probably understand their net benefit and vote for it, in the face of lobbying by the minority — high carbon consumers. The tax is fiscally neutral but environmentally helpful.
Candace A. introduces a different nuance to carbon taxes, suggesting that above-median polluting firms pay a tax and below-median firms receive a rebate. Instead of creating a united opposition to taxes on all carbon, this idea would split the opposition, since low-carbon firms would lobby for it, in opposition to their heavy-pollution cousins.
Julia A. suggests broadening the pool of those eligible to work on renewable energy (wind farming, for example) to include scientists, non-profits, schools and communities. Since they are currently excluded from power generation (my impression is that it’s “managed” by utilities and bureaucracies), this additional involvement would increase innovation and public support for these programs.
Ryan L. goes straight for propaganda, suggesting that environmental programs (carbon taxes, wind farms, etc.) be branded, so that people can have stronger positive feelings towards “save the kids” programs. In Brazil, for example, the “bolsa familia” (family grant) is part of its Zero Fome (zero hunger) campaign. It seems that rebranding “taxes” would also be useful.
Stephanie L. promotes environmental justice by “empowering” poor people likely to suffer from local pollution. She suggests that local community organizations be mobilized to educate locals on issues, increasing feedback to bureaucrats and votes to politicians who will be forced to respond to this democratic noise.
Bottom Line: New ideas require new perspectives. What have you learned from “amateurs” lately?
Here are some more pictures of the Mohs Ostentatienne Opera Sedan when the car was picked up for the restoration.
Also here’s some interesting history about this car as copied from an information card.
Specifications: Length 248″ Height 69″ Width 90″ Weight 5740 lbs Tread 74″
Designed and built by Bruce Baldwin Mohs- Mohs Seaplane Corporation, Madison Wisconsin.
This is the one and only prototype which contains 30 unique features including patented safety features not found on other cars of the late 60’s. It was driven to the engineering departments of the big 3 in Detroit to demonstrate and market the features. Some were many years ahead of their time and are now “standard equipment” on cars today. The car was built on a special order chassis by International Corp. and has a 304 cu. in. V8. The tires are 7.50 x 20 Denman custom built wide whitewalls filled with pure nitrogen. (The car was stored for 19 years and the tires still had 20 psi. 12 psi was added as a testament to this technology)
Bruce Mohs turned the car over to Fred Beyer founder of “Hot Rod High” who coordinated the preparation of the car for the 2009 Iola car show. The car was removed from storage and transported
with assistance from Bob Abitz, a retired auto body instructor from Freedom Wisconsin. The mechanical work, brakes and electrical was done with help form students at Shawano High School’s Automotive program. The body work and painting was done by Jay Abitz and students from Freedom High School Auto Club. The final assembly and detailing was by Mike Carnahan and Fred Beyer.
We’ve got 2 feet or so of white stuff piled up on the ground here, and we’re bracing for another major storm that could bring us another foot or so of snow. To say the Birdcouple is hunkered down at the Lovenest is an understatement.
Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Wrens, American Goldfinches, White-Breasted Nuthatches and others have been hitting the feeders like crazy the last few days. This Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker has had a hankering for this oak (??) tree in the side yard lately. … The smart birds migrated outta here months ago…
The final against defending champion Allister Carter (England) was an impressive display of scoring power. He made breaks of 137, 101, 95, 81, 76, 72 (twice), 71, 59 and 54 in the 9-4 win.
The Scot received £35,000 for the victory and runner-up Carter got £17,500.
Ronnie O’Sullivan (England) and Stephen Maguire (Scotland) lost out in the semifinals.
Higgins also had the highest break of the event, a 138 which earned him £2,000.
This was the second Welsh Open title for Higgins and his 21st ranking title. He also won the event in 2000.
The win strengthens Higgins’ lead in the provisional rankings. The next two also remain the same, with O’Sullivan in second and Neil Robertson (Australia) in third.
The event took place at the Newport Center, Newport, Wales 25-31 January, 2010. Next up on the snooker calendar is the Sanyuan Foods China Open which starts 29 March 2010.
Lux would like to learn…What is the benefit to using an ionic hair dryer or a ceramic hair dryer? I’ve heard that you can blow dry more quickly by using an ionic or ceramic dryer. Is this true? How does it work?
The Right Brain accommodates:
The quick answer is that “ionic” doesn’t […]
Veiled in secrecy, the launch of Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara is now slated for 28th March on a Harrods exclusive (it launches nationwide in May). In fact, there is already a wait list for the wonder product that uses smart technology to treat and beautify lashes. Way back, when all the lash growth treatments were hitting the news, I wondered how long it would be before that technology transferred to a multi-functional mascara. Hypnose Precious Cells contains a formula that encourages lash growth by regenerating cells at the root of the lash. This apparantly helps to strengthen and thicken lashes as well as stopping mature lashes falling out too soon (ergo the thickening claim, I guess). A new brush design enables the user to get to the very root of the lashes because it is all important for the formula to reach down that far. Expect three colours: black, brown and blue. £22. Julia Roberts is the current face of Lancome.
What is one statement abortion proponents often resort to when they really can’t defend the killing of the innocent unborn: The pro-lifers only care for what’s in the womb. They don’t care for the baby and mother after it’s born. Obviously, this is just a distraction to attempt to nullify the pro-life argument, but it can easily be refuted.
First, let’s examine their assertion that pro-lifers don’t do anything to help the mother and newborn. Hundreds of pregnancy centers throughout America assist the woman while she is pregnant, but also after the baby is born. Most conduct parenting classes along with helping with specific needs for the newborn baby and mother. Many Catholic parishes are involved with groups such as The Gabriel Project which helps with the woman through her pregnancy until well after the baby is born. Then there are the thousands of pro-lifers who assist individually with women who decided not to abort their child.
For the sake of argument, let’s assume they are right, that pro-lifers do not help with the mother and baby after it is born. How would that change the fact that an unborn baby is being killed in the name of abortion? It doesn’t change that fact at all. If you see your neighbor being physically abused by her husband and you do nothing about it, does that change the fact that the abuse occurred? What if someone said that you can’t assert that the abuse is wrong unless you take the neighbor into your house to protect her. Of course, helping out this woman would be a great thing to do, but whether you do or not doesn’t detract from the facts of the original abuse.
In a related argument abortion proponents will say that if a woman lives in poverty or other dire circumstances then they should be allowed to abort their child. They often claim that the pro-lifer ignores the circumstances of the woman’s life. Obviously, many women come from undesirable situations, but do we allow to kill the born children who are in those same circumstances? Of course, not. Their rebuttal to that argument is often that it’s different because one child is born and the other isn’t. So right there is the crux of the whole pro-life, pro-abortion debate. They do not feel the unborn is as valuable as a child outside of the womb and that it is not deserving of equal rights that born persons enjoy. The pro-life argument can then be focused on when does life begin and that the unborn is just in a different location than the born child.
These criticisms of the pro-life view are designed for the sole purpose of distracting from the fact of what really happens in an abortion. No matter how many times the discussion is thrown off course, the focus should be on reiterating the truth that the unborn is a human deserving of all of the rights that a born human has.
Stocks are lower on continued worries about the economy and concerns about European debt issues
The market’s major indexes have traded erratically lately as investors try to determine whether a global economic recovery is sustainable. Traders are still grappling with concerns that some European countries, such as Greece, Portugal and Spain, might not be able to handle their mounting debt. Stocks have also been hurt by China’s plans to limit economic growth and the Obama administration’s proposed rules to restrict trading by large financial institutions.
All of those concerns have investors on edge about whether the global economy can recover strongly in the coming months. Stocks had rallied for 10 months on hopes of a rebound after hitting 12-year lows last March.
Investors are looking for fresh evidence of economic growth. The recent troubles demonstrate a recovery might not be happening as fast as some had hoped.
In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 43.68, or 0.4 percent, to 9,968.55. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 3.46, or 0.3 percent, to 1,062.73, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 5.18, or 0.2 percent, to 2,135.94.
Bond prices fell Monday. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.58 percent from 3.57 percent late Friday. The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold rose. Crude oil fell 1 cent to $71.18 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Yesterday’s Top Performing Small Cap Stock:
General Automotive Company (OTC BB: GNAU) was a SmallCapVoice.com top performer yesterday closing up over 66% on trading volume of 1,699,928 shares.
General Automotive Company, a North American provider of aftermarket parts and advanced technology for the automotive industry, announced last Friday that it has an agreement to acquire privately held S.P.E.C., Inc. The transaction is expected to further position the Company as an organization that capitalizes on both organic growth as well as growth through strategic acquisition.
S.P.E.C., Inc., based in Birmingham, AL, is a leading provider of high performance clutches and flywheels to the high performance automotive market. S.P.E.C., which reported unaudited revenue of approximately $5.6 million in 2009, will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of General Automotive. Additionally, key S.P.E.C. executives will be retained to ensure smooth integration and operational continuity.
Dan Valladao, president and CEO of General Automotive said, “The proposed acquisition is a critical milestone in the Company’s strategy to acquire established businesses with strong growth and profit potential in the $265 billion automotive aftermarket parts industry.”
Separately, General Automotive today announced the opening of a Los Angeles office of OE Source. OE Source, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Automotive, opened the new LA office to support the expansion of its new export division. The new office will be led by Brandon Cser, the company’s newest National Sales Executive.
VitaminSpice is uniquely positioned between the $100 billion health food/vitamin supplement industry and the multi-trillion-dollar traditional food industry. A pioneer in the emerging foodceutical industry, VitaminSpice sells vitamin-, mineral- and antioxidant-infused spices and food products. Their offerings include Crushed Red Pepper, Ground Black Pepper, Sea Salt, Italian Seasoning, Ground Cinnamon and Granulated Garlic. A proprietary micro-encapsulation process keeps vitamin properties locked inside, even when heated, allowing the food products to retain their full flavor.
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ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — General Automotive Company (OTCBB:GNAU), a North American provider of aftermarket parts and advanced technology for the automotive industry, today announces the opening of a Los Angeles office of OE Source. OE Source, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Automotive, opened the new LA office to support the expansion of its new export division. The new office will be led by Brandon Cser, the company’s newest National Sales Executive.
About General Automotive Company
General Automotive Company (“GAC”) is focused on expanding its operating growth platform through multiple and ongoing acquisitions of successful niche manufacturing companies in the automotive industry. Currently General Automotive has two operating subsidiaries. OE Source (“OES”) is a provider of original equipment and aftermarket automotive parts and related automotive products. These customers include large, multi-national distributors, manufacturers, and OEM providers. OES specializes in engine management products such as O2 sensors, which is a rapidly growing and government mandated segment of the auto supply industry. General Automotive is also a partner in GreenCell Inc., a joint venture with SenCer Inc., a New York based ceramic technology company. GreenCell with its new advanced ceramics proprietary technology can be a potential game changer in multiple automotive products including oxygen sensors, brakes and SOFC fuel cells for powering automobiles.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the Company’s current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. Specifically, the Company’s ability to raise additional capital, execute its business plan and strategy, sustain or increase gross margins, achieve profitability and build shareholder value are forward looking statements. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the Company’s business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will be chatting up the central bank’s exit strategy later this week when he testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on February 10. To say that there are political and economic risks hovering over the subject is to understate the potential hazards.
There are risks to tightening too early, which some worry would repeat the mistakes of 1936-1937, when reserve requirements were tightened and the economy slipped into recession. At the same time, it’d be foolish to discount the potential for higher inflation in the years ahead in the wake of the extraordinary monetary stimulus over the past year or so. Regardless of the economic reality, the political pressure to keep rates low is intense, given the weak labor market.
In late-January, Carnegie Mellon Professor Alan Meltzer bluntly responded to Bernanke’s commentary on the details of an exit strategy by opining that the Fed chairman’s plan is destined to fail. Meltzer, author of a sweeping two-volume history of the Fed (A History of the Federal Reserve, Volume 1: 1913-1951 and A History of the Federal Reserve, Volume 2, 1970-1986), said that Bernanke’s plan to prevent future inflation is “incomplete.” As Meltzer explains, “The Fed recently began to pay interest to banks on the reserves they hold in their vaults. Using this new tool, it claims the ability to get banks to keep the money instead of lending it out, thus containing the money supply and inflation. I don’t believe this will work, and no one else should.”
Will Ben respond to the criticism and soothe Meltzer’s concerns? Stay tuned. For the moment, however, the stakes are low, or so the market outlook for inflation suggests. The Treasury market’s 10-year inflation forecast is a modest 2.27%, based on the spread between the nominal and inflation-indexed 10-year Treasuries as of Friday’s close.
That’s roughly in line with the inflation outlook just before all hell broke loose in September 2008, when Lehman Brothers failed and the financial troubles at the time exploded into a crisis. Among the fallout from the chain of events that month was the heightened risk of deflation. Judging by the market’s forecast these days, the deflation risk has faded. Yet the inflation risk at the moment looks tame.
No wonder that the Fed funds futures market anticipates no imminent change in short term rates. If we look out a year, the futures market expects the Fed to raise interest rates, but just barely. The February 2011 contract is currently priced for a roughly 0.75% Fed funds. That’s up from the current 0-0.25% target range, but as changes in rate expectations go, that’s rather subdued.
Will Ben’s testimony on Thursday give us reason to rethink the future of inflation and interest rates?
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If you’ve watched him on television, it would be easy to mistake Jeff Corwin for an intellectual light-weight– a kind of peppy Preppy class clown and animal lover. But such a characterization would surely sell Corwin short. In this November 2009 release, Corwin (who in fact has a master’s degree in wildlife conservation from the University of Massachusetts) tells the heart-breaking tales of the 100 Heartbeat club, which refers to endangered species who have fewer than 100 living members.
