Nevada Approves Rules for Self-driving Vehicles

Nevada is the first state in the nation to approve self-driving vehicles. Google as well as Audi and Volkswagen have been experimenting and developing vehicles that drive themselves.

“Nevada is the first state to embrace what is surely the future of automobiles,” Department of Motor Vehicles director Bruce Breslow said in a statement. “These regulations establish requirements companies must meet to test their vehicles on Nevada’s public roadways as well as requirements for residents to legally operate them in the future.”

The autonomous vehicles will carry a red license plate.

Read more: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400400,00.asp

RGJ Publishes Dem Campaign Document

The RGJ published this breathless AP article proclaiming how great the new GM is and how much profit it made this past year. The profit was $7.6 billion, a new record for GM. But there seems to be another concern.

The profit won’t stop the debate about spending $49.5 billion in taxpayer dollars to save GM. But it did drive up the company’s stock price, which could help the government get more of its money back.

Notice their focus: the profit “could help the government get more of its money back.” Apparently, to the RGJ and the AP it’s all the government’s money. The taxpayers have no say. We are mere pawns and the sooner we recognize it the better.

They were very excited that each of the blue-collar (union) workers received a $7,000 bonus check. But did you notice how they mentioned that all of the non-union workers had their pay frozen? Neither did I. I guess it’s all right for the union to get revenge on the non-union bums. GM was also doing away with the pensions of the non-union workers.

I also missed the RGJ reporting that while the bonus was paid to the union workers GM still owed the government (taxpayers) $12 billion through Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC.

And don’t forget that GM will pay NO taxes for ten years. That’s even less than Warren Buffett’s secretary. We could probably do very well ourselves if we didn’t need to pay the IRS for ten years.

Way to go RGJ.

Read more: http://sweetness-light.com/archive/uaw-freezes-pay-of-non-union-gm-workers

The RGJ Still Pushes Global Warming

The RGJ is sure trying hard to keep the global warming hoax alive. Their evidence is slim at best and this article even admits that. But, why waste the opportunity?

Linking this dry winter and the fires it helped spawn to climate change is “probably kind of a stretch” but as temperatures warm it’s likely there will be an increasing number of large and destructive blazes across the region, said Roger Walker, a forestry and wildfire expert at University of Nevada, Reno.

Their argument is that the fires this year were caused by the extreme, which in turn was caused by global warming. How did they explain last year when we had an abundance of snow?

Read the story: http://www.rgj.com/article/20120204/NEWS/120204004/-1/nletter01/Winter-wildfires-a-rarity-for-Reno-area-but-warming-climate-could-make-them-more-common?source=nletter-news
And be sure to check out this supporting story: http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2012/02/warmal-colding-strikes-europe-record.html

How Quickly Could You Build a House?

We’ve probably all watched Extreme Makeover on ABC where they completely rebuild a home, usually in less than a week.

But, how about in an hour? In thes video a nomadic family in Mongolia erects their house (Ger) in slightly over an hour. Watch and enjoy.

Delays in Thousands of Foreclosure Reviews

Anyone that expected fast results from foreclosure reviews is in for a disappointment.  They are now expected to take a much longer time.

Review time frames have lengthened for other servicers, too, because the detail, scope and complexity of the reviews weren’t fully known last April, says OCC spokesman Bryan Hubbard.

The reviews are for borrowers that faced foreclosure on their primary home in 2009 and 2010 by the nation's largest servicers.  This could amount to as many as 4 million borrowers, but they expect to only sample for errors such as unlawfurl foreclosures and excessive fees.

Read more: http://www.rgj.com/article/20120113/BIZ/120113031/1071

US New Home Sales Drop to Lowest Year on Record

New home sales dropped to an annual rate of 307,000.  This is less than half of what would be expected in a normal economy.  With the reduced sales the sales prices have also dropped.  The median sales price is now $201,300.

About 302,000 new homes were sold last year. That’s less than the 323,000 sold in 2010, making last year’s sales the worst on records dating back to 1963. And it coincides with a report last week that said 2011 was the weakest year for single-family home construction on record.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-new-home-sales-fell-in-december-to-make-2011-worst-sales-year-in-history/2012/01/26/gIQANEUtSQ_story.html

Another Green Energy Failure

Anyone that regularly reads this blog is probably aware that I am not a fan of “green” energy. For example, ethanol gets added to our gasoline by mandate and has only served to make the gas more expensive, and less reliable. Vehicles in winter storage can likely expect to find the carburetor gummed up from the bad gas. It has also served to raise our food prices because the corn has been diverted to motor fuel.

We are also aware of the massive amount of corruption by companies such as Solyndra where a half a billion dollars was “lent” to a bundler for Obama.

Spain invested heavily in solar and nearly bankrupted itself before they realized it wasn’t working. Now, we have this story from Germany where they invested $100 billion in solar and it produces almost nothing.

But you say Nevada is different. We have geothermal and we have solar and we have Harry Reid, who hates coal. I believe no alternative energy source is commercially viable at this time. None of them can be profitable without a government subsidy. And by government subsidy, I mean by us, the taxpayers. A subsidy is where a politician chooses to spend more wisely than you or I could ourselves. Nevada does have sunshine. But it is not enough to overcome the folly of our “rulers.”

Read more: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/01/germanys-answer-to-our-ethanol-folly.php