WASHINGTON (AP) — A concrete mixer. Crates of cauliflower. A Harley-Davidson. Chunks of cheese?
President Bush tempered to a White House lawn stacked with props Friday to press Congress to approve free-trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
A heavy, white concrete truck, earth-moving equipment and a fire and rescue conduit were rolled onto the South Lawn to give Bush a fashionable backdrop for his umpteenth speech lauding the upsides of empty trade.
So far, Congress hasn’t budged. Among lawmakers’ concerns is the impact that free-trade deals hand down have on U.S. workers, specifically during lean economic times.
Bush rebuffed that, saying that 40% of U.S. economic growth last year came as a result of exports.
"For some in Washington, trade is a political issue," he said. "In other words, people think it makes good politics to say `We’re not customary to let you trade.’
"Those voices of pessimism and voices of protectionism must understand that oftentimes, origin up markets means the difference between giving employees a pay raise or a pay cut."
He cited American-made bicycles and bales of cotton, staged on the grass, as examples of a lopsided tariff structure the United States has with the three countries he’s seeking to get into original trade agreements. The Marine Band played. The audience waved American flag fans. Wooden crates of oranges, lettuce, broccoli and lemons warmed in the sunshine.
Acting the principally of auctioneer, Bush barked: "That motorcycle right there - 20% more expensive in Colombia, 8% more in Korea and 15% more in Panama."
"This Case tractor … will be $15,000 cheaper in Colombia," he told the crowd of administering officials, lawmakers, trade advocates and foreign dignitaries. "… There’s a 20% tariff on dairy products from the United States into Colombia, 36% into Korea."
Bush said the House’s resolution to stump a vote on a Colombia free vocation agreement was a serious boob and urged Congress to reconsider. Democrats have cited the continued violence against organized labor in Colombia and differences with the administration over how to stretch forth a program that helps U.S. workers displaced by foreign competition.
The president said the United States must show its support for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who is working to transform his country from a near-failed state to a stable democracy with a growing economy, and has been a partner with the United States in fighting drugs and terrorism.
In case anyone missed the South Lawn event, White House press secretary Dana Perino showed up at a briefing holding a golf ball - one more product, she said, that would be affected by opening overseas markets.
Perino said 35% of the sales of American-made golf balls go to international markets. In Korea, U.S.-made golf balls face an 8% duty, she said. In Colombia, "there’s a staggering double-hit of a 20% excise and a 16% tax on any U.S.-made golf ball."
"Putt-Putt golf?" she asked rhetorically. "Putt-Putt golf is a growth industry possibly."
NEW YORK (AP) — Two airlines that simply months ago won federal approval to begin highly coveted routes to China are postponing the launch of the new services because of high fuel costs.
The requests finish in the money b be at a time of growing strain on the airline industry, which is anticipating multibillion dollar losses this year as it scrambles to against with effortless oil prices and a slumping U.S. conciseness.
United Airlines (UAUA, Fortune 500) has sought and US Airways (LCC, Fortune 500) plans to ask for one-year delays in launching the new routes, representatives from the carriers said Thursday. United won final approval and US Airways received the cautious go-ahead to throw the routes from the U.S. Department of Transportation in September.
Since then, oil prices have like greased lightning up more than 60%. Benchmark prices surged past $135 a barrel Thursday before settling at $130.81, down $2.36 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The routes in question affect planned United service between San Francisco to Guangzhou, and US Airways flights between Philadelphia and Beijing.
Access to routes between the U.S. and China is highly competitive because air service between the two countries is restricted by bilateral agreements. A July agreement between the two countries was intended to double the number of habitually flights allowed between the two nations over the next five years.
United’s request for a delay was approved April 25, while the solicitation from US Airways has not yet been received, Transportation Department spokesman Bill Mosley said.
United, a division of UAL Corp., was scheduled to start its new flights in early June, but now plans to postpone the launch until June 2009. Spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said the Chicago-based drayman is scaling back plans for one new international route, San Francisco to Guangzhou, where there aren’t "strong enough economics" to countervail higher fuel costs.
United received final approval for its route in September, the proper for all that time Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL, Fortune 500) won the opportunity to launch its first flights to China with a daily route between Shanghai and Atlanta. Delta’s flights began March 31.
US Airways has begun sending letters to members of Congress and its employees saying it would solicit to delay the launch of the new Philadelphia-Beijing route, noting that the cost conducive to fuel would be more than $90 million a year - $40 million more than the original estimate of about $50 million.
"We’re optimistic that solvent conditions will be on the upswing in 2010, giving us a better chance of success with our first route to China," Scott Kirby, the president of Phoenix-based US Airways Group Inc., said in a letter to workers.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said in a statement that the China route is a priority for the Philadelphia region, and that the delay was another example of how high fuel prices are hurting the economy.
"I hope this delay is only temporary because this route has the potential to be an pecuniary boon to Philadelphia and good business for US Airways," Casey said.
Before it began the process of delaying the launch, US Airways had planned to start its new route in 2009.
US Airways received final approval fitting for the route in December. At the same time, AMR Corp.’s (AMR, Fortune 500) American Airlines, Continental Airlines Inc. (CAL, Fortune 500) and Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA, Fortune 500) each won awards to add a new daily flight to their existing service beginning next year.
Representatives for American, Continental and Northwest said they are not making any changes to their plans for late China passenger routes next year.
However, Northwest has applied for a waiver to put off seven weekly roundtrip cargo flights a week between Tokyo and Guangzhou, China, spokeswoman Tammy Lee said.
POSTED BY Administrator ON @ 11:50 pm | 0 Comments
2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS photo gallery2008 Chevrolet HHR SS test driveOld model: 2005 Cobalt SS Supercharged test driveOrdinary Cobalt: Cobalt LS Sedan test drive
Suggested Reading
Mazdaspeed 3 test driveHonda Civic Si test driveVolkswagen GTI test driveNissan Sentra SE-R test drive
Most Popular
Top 10 Fuel Efficient Cars2007 BMW M6 convertibleSmall Cars You Can Live With2007 Toyota Prius2008 Audi A5 interior
From Jason Fogelson
Chevy’s compact coupe gets the SS treatmentGuide Rating -
What do the star ratings mean?
I just love the fact that certain cars inspire passion. It’s easy to picture a passionate Lamborghini owner; a passionate Porsche owner; even a passionate Corvette owner. Can you picture an owner who is passionate about their Chevrolet Cobalt? I met a few when I drove the new 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Would they be able to recruit me into their fold? Read on. Price range $22,995 - $24,520, EPA fuel economy estimates 22 MPG city, 30 MPG highway.
First Glance: SS goes low-profile
Larger exterior photos: Front - rear
Chevrolet invited me along with a lucky handful of journalists up to Bakersfield, California to test drive the Cobalt SS on public roads and at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. (By the way, if you’ve never driven on a race track, do yourself a big favor and get to one right away. The first time you hit the track, you’ll discover how little you actually know about driving, and you’ll want to get some professional driving instruction. Good training and experience on the track will make you a better driver on the street. And it’s a blast, besides. Okay, back to the Cobalt SS…)
Cobalt SS is available only as a coupe for 2008; a sedan (link goes to photo) will be added for 2009. The appearance of the SS coupe differs from the ordinary Cobalt in a few ways: a beefier front fascia with integrated fog lamps, diamond-mesh-look upper and lower grilles, sportier rocker panels, a bright-tip exhaust, 18" twin five-spoke forged aluminum wheels with performance tires, and the choice of a low profile rear deck-mounted spoiler (standard) or a high profile "boy racer" wing (a $150 option). Oh, and that all-important "SS" badge, tastefully displayed on the front, rear and each rocker panel. The SS treatment doesn’t transform the Cobalt; it’s actually pretty subtle and not overly showy (as long as you choose the low profile spoiler).
Inside, the SS treatment continues. Whereas the previous edition of the Cobalt SS offered an upgraded seat only as an add-on option, the new SS package includes a very comfortable, supportive set of SS embroidered sport seats with no upcharge. I really came to appreciate the suede-like UltraLux inserts in the seats, which kept my cheeks planted when the roads got curvy.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, I was greeted by a beefy, leather-wrapped steering wheel that adjusted for tilt but not for reach. I noticed this when I took a Cobalt with the optional ($750) headroom-robbing sunroof out on the track, as I had to lean the seat back in order to accommodate my gigantic helmet (one of the downsides of having a gigantic head) and found the steering wheel too far away. About.com Car Shopping Tip: If you plan to take your Cobalt SS on the track, be sure to bring your helmet to the dealership for your test drive. (And be sure to e-mail us a picture of the salesman’s face when you put it on.)
Other than that, the interior is pretty much standard Cobalt, which is to say, just okay. Material choices, fit and finish are adequate, and the design is ho-hum. I would have liked a little more of the SS splash inside — how about an SS logo on the steering wheel, Chevy? How about a little more brushed aluminum or machine turning? Hopefully the aftermarket will help owners to personalize their SS interiors. At least the dashboard wears a matte finish, which keeps reflection off of the steeply-raked windshield to a minimum.
On the Road: Chevy does their turbo homework
Let’s look under the hood. Is that a turbocharger? Why, yes it is! The old Cobalt SS made its power (205 hp/200 lb-ft of torque) with the help of a supercharger. Both superchargers and turbochargers boost engine power by increasing the pressure of the air that’s going through the engine. A supercharger gets its power mechanically, from a belt attached to the engine. A turbo gets its power from exhaust gases, so it is (in theory) more efficient. Each system has its benefits and drawbacks. Traditionally, superchargers deliver more low end punch, while turbos spool up and wallop you with a rush of power higher in the rev range. Chevy engineers did a lot of work to tame the turbo lag that can afflict a poorly-tuned turbo, and the result is that the Cobalt SS’s 2.0 liter delivers its power (260 hp/260 lb-ft of torque) smoothly and linearly, with plenty of torque available at low RPMs.
More power requires better braking and traction control and a more robust transmission to get the power to pavement. Cobalt SS comes with power 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with Brembo calipers, a truly high-end solution to the stopping problem. A five-speed manual transmission is the only available choice — no automatic here. To facilitate quick starts and quick shifting, electronic launch control can be engaged via a button on the instrument panel, and the engine supports "no-lift" shifting — just keep your foot on the gas while you change gears and the computer keeps the revs in the right range. Takes a little getting used to, but with practice you can really rocket the SS off the line.
Put your SS through its paces on a curvy road, or on a roadrace course, and you’ll discover that it is nice and flat through the curves. Even though the SS is a front-wheel drive vehicle, torque steer (the tendency of front-wheel drive vehicles to pull to one side under power) is barely noticeable. Steering feel is good, though the turning radius is much wider (39.4′) than you’d expect for a compact car, which could be an issue in parking lots.
Cobalt SS is a lot of car for the money. The only problem is the competition — specifically, the Mazdaspeed3. On paper, Cobalt matches up well with the ‘Speed3, but the Mazda is more refined, better looking and more fun to drive. With its four doors and hatchback, it is also more useful on a day-to-day basis. You will also want to check out the Honda Civic Si and the Nissan Sentra SE-R. If you can step up closer to the $30,000 mark (or beyond), the Subaru WRX STi and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution will reward your generosity with racetrack-ready performance that will challenge your ability to keep your driver’s license. Personally, I’d spend my hard-earned dollars on the Mazdaspeed3.
Don’t tell the Chevy faithful that I said that, though. Cobalt SS owners are a very tight-knit community — check out CobaltSS.net for a sampling. I admire their passion — I just don’t share their taste in cars.
Next page: Likes and dislikes, who should buy it, details and specs
Six rare giant pandas were transferred Friday from the world-famous breeding center at Wolong, joining eight other animals who will leave the site in southwest China due to severe impairment caused by mould week’s quake.
Xinhua news means said the six of the endangered animals were trucked to another nature reserve in quake-hit Sichuan province because of damage to their shelters and a food shortage caused away the May 12 earthquake.
“There is sufficiently water now, but food is still a chief intractable. The pandas are in urgent need of bamboos and apples,” Xiong Beirong, an official with the Sichuan provincial forestry subdivision, was quoted as saying.
The pandas were headed for a reserve near the city of Ya’an, about 124 miles to the southwest.
The fate of the Wolong pandas, possibly Sichuan’s most famed residents, has been a cause of public concern following the quake.
Wolong is a major tourist draw to the region and source of some of the animals that China has loaned to overseas zoos in sensitive goodwill gestures.
The epicenter of last week’s quake was in Wenchuan county, about 20 miles from Wolong.
The quake had a importance of 8.0 on the Richter scale, and caused catastrophic damage and at least 55,000 deaths.
Eight other pandas were to be flown out of Sichuan to Beijing Zoo on Saturday, a zoo spokeswoman said on Thursday.
However, that was a previously scheduled transfer as the pandas were due to be displayed in the capital during the August 8-24 Olympic Games.
With a NASA probe set to land on Mars' arctic region this weekend, we set out to compare the two worlds.
"The poles on Mars are a lot like Antarctica," said James Head, a planetary geologist at Brown University. "It's a very arid, very cold desert. The Antarctic Dry Valleys, for example, are the most Mars-like setting on Earth."
The Martian poles resemble Antarctica, at Earth's South Pole, because both are covered with a relatively thin layer of ice on top of stupefy, while our own North Pole is a liquid ocean with shifting layers of ice floating on top of it.
The ice caps on Mars are roughly as thick as the ice cap on Antarctica - both are about a mile-and-a-half (two to three kilometers) deep.
While the ice on Earth is made of water, Mars' ice is a combination of water-ice and frozen carbon dioxide, or "dry ice."
And if you thought Earth's poles were frigid, avoid the tips of Mars, where surface temperatures are around 150 Kelvin, or −189.67 degrees Fahrenheit (-123.15 degrees Celsius). Our own South Pole generally gets down to around −85 degrees Fahrenheit (−65 degrees Celsius) and our North Pole is much warmer, with lows of around −45 degrees Fahrenheit (−43 degrees Celsius).
Polar bears, seals and arctic foxes frolic near Earth's North Pole, and birds and fish are sometimes sighted there. And Antarctica is home to those adorable Emperor Penguins, as incredibly as Snow Petrel birds, blue whales and orcas. Meanwhile, no life has been found yet on Mars' poles (or anywhere else on the red planet), though scientists are holding out hope for microbes, perchance in liquid water buried deep under the surface.
While humans have yet to set foot on Mars, people live year-round at McMurdo station on Antarctica. For the primary explorers to Earth's poles, though, the journey was a challenge akin to our tenor goal of sending astronauts to the red planet. The first sighting of Antarctica was in the 1820s, and humans didn't actually touch down on the southern continent until the 1890s.
In 1909, American explorer Robert Peary claimed to be the first person to reach the North Pole, though many scholars question whether he really achieved this feat.
About a half century later, humans sent the first unmanned missions to Mars.
In July 1965, NASA's Mariner 4 spacecraft made the first flyby of the planet, snapping the first up-close photos. Ten years later, in July 1976, NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft landed on Mars. And this Sunday, NASA's Phoenix spacecraft is scheduled to set down in the northern polar region of Mars. Scientists hope the upcoming mission will pen more light on the differences between our planet and our neighbor, and maybe even find evidence for the greatest similarity of all: life.
Video: NASA's Phoenix: Rising to the Red Planet The Top 10 Martian Landings of All Time Gallery: Ice of the Antarctic Original Story: Earth vs. Mars: Polar Opposites
Visit LiveScience.com in spite of more daily news, views and scientific inquiry with an original, provocative point of view. LiveScience reports amazing, real world breakthroughs, made simple and stimulating for people on the go. Check d‚mod‚ our assemblage of Science, Animal and Dinosaur Pictures, Science Videos, Hot Topics, Trivia, Top 10s, Voting, Amazing Images, Reader Favorites, and more. Get cool gadgets at the new LiveScience Store, sign up for our free daily email newsletter and check out our RSS feeds today!
When you are going to waste your hard earned cash on a new game console, it is normally a good idea to do your homework commencement so you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. The games a system currently has as well as its upcoming titles are the most important element of choosing a system, but there are a few other things to consider as profoundly. Controller, online play, DVD/CD playback – all of these things can be a deal breaker.
I have to admit that I haven’t always been an Xbox fan. In fact, I was one of many people that were hoping it would run aground back when it launched in November of 2001. I thought the controller was too big and clunky, I thought it was fun to make light of the system’s massive footprint, and I had the crazy idea that all Xbox games were inferior. Then I actually spent some quality time with an Xbox. After a couple of weeks I was completely convinced that the Xbox was not single a great system, but that Microsoft would be getting a share of my gaming dollar for their future systems.
Games Are the Most Important Consideration
The most important thing to consider when deciding whether or not to get a new brave system is what games you can play on it. For the first eighteen months or so, the Xbox struggled a little bit in this branch, but now the Xbox has as good of titles if not better than the competition. Every genre is covered on the Xbox platform from racing to shooters to puzzle games. Also, games that see releases on all three current generation systems almost perpetually look and play mastery on the Xbox.
Basically, if you like video games, you need an Xbox. Racing games are covered by RalliSport Challenge 2, Apex, Sega GT 2002, and Project Gotham Racing 2. Shooters are covered aside Halo, Chronicles of Riddick, MechAssault, Unreal Championship, Brute Force, Armed and Dangerous, and loads of other great titles. Sports games are also widely available on Xbox and now that Electronic Arts has agreed to make games Xbox LIVE compatible, there is no reason to not get the Xbox versions of Madden, NHL, NBA Live, and EA’s other great sports games. Role Playing Games have also found a nice niche on the Xbox with Morrowind, Knights of the Old Republic, and Fable, which is coming out in September. The Xbox covers every genre with a ginormous slues of prominence titles, so finding games that you want to play shouldn’t be a problem.
Microsoft’s Commitment to Quality
One thing that Microsoft has done very well is it has created franchises that have consistently gotten better with each renewed release. Racing games RalliSport Challenge and Project Gotham Racing were fun games when they came missing, but RalliSport Challenge 2 and Project Gotham Racing 2 completely blew the originals out of the splash. Upcoming sequels such as Halo 2, MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf, Blinx 2, and Unreal Championship 2 all look to continue this trend of consistent improvement. The promise of tickety-boo games that restrict getting better is definitely something to look forward to.
Great Games Already on Xbox
Racing Games - Rallisport Challenge 2, Project Gotham Racing 2, Burnout 3: Takedown, Need for Speed Underground 2, Midnight Club 3, MX vs. ATV Unleashed, Forza Motorsport
Sports Games - Madden NFL 2005, ESPN NFL 2k5, NBA Street V3, Winning Eleven 8, NCAA Football 06, NHL 2005
Role Playing Games - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Morrowind, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Phantasy Star Online I & II, Fable, Jade Empire
Newsletters & RSSEmail to a friendSubmit to DiggFrench for Beginners
LessonsNewsletterStudy tips
French Help
Proofreading + editingFrench vs EnglishFrequently asked questions
New posts to the French for Beginners forums:
ne pas encore entendreThe avail oneself of of L’MP3
Most Popular
French Proficiency TestFrench Verb ConjugatorFrench Restaurant Vocabulary - French TestFrench Adverbs - Les AdverbesFrench Adjectives - Les Adjectifs
From Laura K. Lawless, Your Guide to French Language. Common French mistakes made by beginning-level students When you start learning French, there’s a lot to remember - fashionable vocabulary, all kinds of verb conjugations, strange spelling… reasonable about everything is different. It’s normal to pamper mistakes, but it’s in your best interest to try to fix them as soon as possible. The longer you make the same mistake, the harder it will be for you to break out it right later on. With this in mind, this article discusses ten of the most common French mistakes made by beginners, so that you can fix these problems right from the beginning.
French Mistake 1 - Gender
In French, all nouns have a gender, either masculine or feminine. This can be a difficult concept destined for English speakers, but it’s non-negotiable. You need to learn vocabulary with either a definite or indefinite article, so that you learn the gender of each word with the word itself. Getting the gender of a word wrong can lead to confusion at best and a completely different meaning at worst, since some words have different meanings depending on their gender. Introduction to French Nouns | Gender by appellation ending | Dual-gender nouns | Articles
French Mistake 2 - Accents
French accents indicate the correct manner of speaking of a word, and are required, not discretionary. Therefore, you be in want of to make an effort to learn what they mean, which words they are found in, and how to type them. Study my accents lesson so that you know what each accent indicates. (Note in particular that ç precedes e or i). Then look at my typing French accents page to choose between the various methods to type them on your computer. Introduction to Accents | Typing French Accents
French Mistake 3 - To Be
Although the literal French equivalent of "to be" is , there are numerous French expressions that use the verb (to have) instead, such as - "to be hungry" and - "to be cold." Take the time to memorize and practice these expressions so that you get them accurate, right from the beginning. Introduction to Avoir and Être | Expressions with Avoir
French Mistake 4 - Contractions
In French, contractions are required. Whenever a short word relish je, me, te, le, la, or ne is followed by a word that begins with a vowel or H , the short word drops the final vowel, adds an apostrophe, and attaches itself to the following word. This is not optional, as it is in English - French contractions are required. Thus, you should never say "je aime" or "le ami" - it is always and . Contractions occur in front of a consonant in French (except H ). French Contractions
French Mistake 5 - H
The French H comes in two varieties: and . Although they bay the same (that is, they are both placid), there is an important difference: one acts breed a consonant and the other acts like a vowel. The H (aspirated H) acts like a consonant, drift that it does not allow contractions or liaisons. The H (tight-lipped H), on the the other hand, is just the opposite: it requires contractions and liaisons. Making vocabulary lists with a particular article will inform appropriate you remember which H is which, such as (H ) vs (H ). H muet vs H aspiré | Liaisons
Beginning French Mistakes 1 - 5 | Beginning French Mistakes 6 - 10 Intermediate French Mistakes 1 - 5 | Intermediate French Mistakes 6 - 10 High-Intermediate French Mistakes 1 - 5 | High-Intermediate French Mistakes 6 - 10 Advanced French Mistakes 1 - 5 | Advanced French Mistakes 6 - 10
Police rescued the African grey mimic two weeks ago from a neighbor’s roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched after clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.
He kept quiet with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.
“I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,” the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street army, and even entertained the hospital pike by singing songs.
“We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura species really lived there. So we told them we’ve found Yosuke,” Uemura said.
The Nakamura folks told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years.
But Yosuke apparently wasn’t keen on opening up to police officials.
“I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me,” Uemura said.
2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS on the trackPhoto © General Motors
Newsletters & RSSEmail to a friendSubmit to Digg
Aside from the seats and the boost gauge on the A-pillar, there’s disappointingly little to distinguish the SS from lesser CobaltsPhoto © General Motors
2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SSPhoto © General Motors
