saturn sky redline

Matthew Keegan asked:




There are a lot of smaller stories to tell coming out of the main story of General Motors' painful restructuring. Most of them are well known - union workers losing their jobs, white collar staff axed, dealerships closing and several brands facing a likely demise. But, there are many lesser known stories that don't get the attention that they deserve for the simple reason that they impact a smaller group of people. In the media, numbers drive the news business which is why current owners of the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters are not getting the attention that they deserve.

Roadster Enthusiasts Left Out In The Cold

Why is it important for Sky and Solstice enthusiasts to have their voices heard? Because, both models are facing GM's ax as their respective brands are closed down or sold off. True, GM could move these attractive models over to another division as both Buick and Chevrolet dealers would love to call these cars their own. However, given GM's current economic plight, allowing these models to die seems to be the only approach unless another automaker makes a bid for the Wilmington, Delaware factory that builds these cars.

The Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are essentially the same car with slightly different exterior styling. The Solstice was introduced for the 2006 model year while the Sky arrived for the 2007 model year. Opel and Daewoo versions of the car are also being sold, expanding the roadster's reach to several important markets. And one important word of note concerning the Solstice - a hard top targa version became available with the 2009 model year, a point of distinction exclusive to that model.

After Production Comes To A Halt

For owners of any orphan car, the quest to maintain their rides long after production has ceased becomes ever more challenging as the years pass by. For Solstice and Sky owners, they'll have a global network to tap which includes Opel GT and Daewoo G2X owners, but eventually it'll be become more difficult to source needed parts. On the other hand, having a distinct roadster that was only built for a few brief years can work to the owner's advantage as resale prices will eventually hit bottom and for customized versions of these cars they could quickly rebound.

But all may not be lost for Sky and Solstice fans as GM has said that they are open to selling the Wilmington plant that produces these cars. Any number of companies could be interested in the roadster line, but the best bet would be an automaker who doesn't have a US presence yet such as one from China. Or, if the right offer came forth GM could sell the dyes, moldings, parts and related material needed to build the cars, allowing future models to be built overseas.

It may be a few more months before the final fate of the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are known. Meanwhile, enthusiasts will be consoling themselves through online message boards, meet ups and other fan gatherings in a bid keep the fire lit for their favorite rides.

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Armand Jusuf asked:




James Bond had it, now you want it. A remote car starter allows a driver to turn-on the ignition of his car from a distance. Sure, maybe it's not on your 007 wristwatch, but there are a number of solutions out there from companies like Crimestopper, Audiovox, Directed, Viper, and Python.

So what can you do with these remote engine starters? The primary purpose for remote starters is convenience. You could warm up your car that is out in frigid weather while you're staying warm indoors. You could also do the same in blistering hot weather; remotely turn-on your engine with the A/C switch on so that it's nice and cool by the time you get in. Another purpose for remote ignition is security reasons. Whether you're a male or a female, it's always nice to have your car ready to go whenever you are, especially when you are in shady parts of town. And of course, the last purpose to having remote starters is the show-off factor because it completes the true wow-element of your vehicle. After all, who doesn't want to show off like James Bond?

There are a few things to be mindful of. Virtually every remote car start kit includes vehicle security and of course with that, they include some kind of remote. The pricing on these remote start security systems depend mostly on the abilities of the remote. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. In essence, the price is based upon how smart your system is.

The more buttons the remote has, the more money it'll cost, because the more buttons usually mean more programmable functions such as keyless entry, arm/disarm, delayed starts, valet mode, and multi-tone activation. Another consideration is the ability for the system to communicate 2-way rather than just the typical 1-way. Think of your remote as your pager. 2-Way remotes allow the system to not only be controlled remotely by the user but also communicate to the user any disturbance to the car. This is crucial if you're dining out or shopping at the mall and your car is out of your sight. 2-Way remotes typically features a small LCD display to tell you exactly what's going on and they usually have obvious indicators to represent different things on your car that is disturbed (if your car is equipped with the sensors). Some systems indicate glass-breakage indicators or vicinity alarms to specify exact disturbances.

Another crucial aspect to consider is of course the range of your remote. Please remember that just because a product say that they feature a max range of 6000ft. means it's always going to be consistently 6000ft. Conditions would have to be perfect to reach that kind of consistency and range. The longest range I've heard anyone had for these systems is around 1500ft. that's about � of a mile. This is great range for you since you could walk around for � mile and not have to worry about your precious car.

Lastly, remember that once you wire your vehicle up for remote ignition, it is possible for thieves to steal your remote's code and frequency allowing them to impersonate you through their remote and driving off with your car. Though the possibility of this is unlikely, it is still possible. Some systems feature code-hopping countermeasures, allowing your system to change codes frequently to prevent thieves from finding the same exact code your system use for arming and disarming the system-giving an astronomically impossible combination of codes to be deciphered. Again with this added feature, expect the price to be higher.

In summary, I would suggest that you find a remote car starter system that is adequate for your needs. If you do want features, keep in mind that for each additional feature, there will be additional costs. I hope I have helped you in your decision making process. Good luck!

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Matthew Keegan asked:




General Motors launched a set of **** roadsters a few years back under the Saturn and Pontiac banners. The Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice along with the Opel GT and Daewoo G2X were developed to bring excitement to each brand, two-seat rear wheel drive sports models with a flair for styling.

Alas, the fortunes of the Saturn Sky and its siblings appears to be coming to a quick end. GM Inside News, an independent voice that analyzes the big automaker, is hinting that the Sky will be no more, exiting the scene in the very near future.

Let's take a look at the reasons why the Sky will likely be no more:

Too Expensive To Build - The Sky's Kappa II platform is too expensive to build. In fact, if reports are correct, the automaker is losing at least $10,000 on each vehicle sold. Never a significant seller, the Sky is an attractive and fun model, but trails the Mazda MX-5 Miata in most rankings.

GM Is Bleeding Cash - General Motors is bleeding through cash this year, at a rate much higher than they thought possible at the beginning of the year. With gas prices topping $4 per gallon, the automaker is scrambling to switch over to a fuel efficient fleet, trimming low performing and expensive inventory in the process.

High Gas Prices Have Changed Everything - In times past when GM could absorb the losses on the Sky, Solstice, GT, and G2X, lower gas prices kept demand for its profitable SUVs and big pickup trucks high. These bigger vehicles are the most profitable for GM and could offset the loss from selling the little roadsters. No more. With sales plummeting, GM has few golden models to rely upon to bolster its line up of loss leading, image roadsters.

Though the Sky isn't a pig on fuel, cash strapped consumers who can still afford a new car are going with much more fuel efficient and practical models. In heady economic times a roadster would sell, but these times are anything but that.

It is unfortunate to hear that the Sky, Solstice, GT, and G2X will be cut, but given the fortunes of General Motors, it seems to be a wise decision from a business point of view.

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Matthew Keegan asked:




After months of nonstop hype, the 2007 Saturn SKY is now entering dealer showrooms. This two seat roadster marks an important turning point for the Saturn brand long identified with building nondescript, but dependable vehicles. With an MSRP of $23,690, the SKY is certain to sell for several thousand dollars over the dealer's sticker price as demand is expected to far exceed capacity. Let's examine the Saturn brand and the car behind the hype to see if the SKY was worth the wait.

Since Saturn's first cars became available in 1990, the brand has attracted a loyal following of owners who liked the company's simplicity and consumer friendly dealer network. Indeed, Saturn's "no haggle" pricing revolutionized the relationship between dealer and customer changing the typical adversarial business transaction into a partnership benefiting buyer and seller alike.

Originally, Saturn was established as a separate company, but wholly owned by General Motors. The idea behind Saturn was that the company would build import fighting small cars to compete against the likes of Toyota and Honda. The S-Series, made with "ding proof" polymer side panels was an immediate hit and Saturn relied exclusively on this line of compact coupes, sedans, and wagons for nearly a decade before a second, larger model was introduced.

The dream of keeping Saturn separate from GM eventually died and the brand was brought into the GM fold to be managed much like Chevrolet, Buick, etc. are today. Indeed, the Spring Hill, Tennessee factory, which was exclusively designed to build Saturn vehicles remains in business, but many of the division's cars are now being built elsewhere including the SKY.

So, the SKY has caught your attention, has it? Who could blame you? Pictures of the SKY have been circulating heavily online for months and it is certainly an attractive vehicle. Based on GM's new Kappa platform, the SKY shares some components with the earlier released Pontiac Solstice, another two seat roadster. The SKY, however, has its own look with a very pronounced fender peak and sleek body style. Here are some of the attributes of the SKY:

- Front engine, rear drive, two seat roadster

- 50/50 front/rear weight distribution

- Manually operated cloth covered top folds down into the trunk

- Front pivoting hood

- 2.4L I4 engine producing 177 h.p. paired with a 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission

- 18 inch wheels; 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS

- Power galore: air conditioning, locks, windows, doors, AM/FM/CD, etc.

The SKY was priced and designed to compete against two other roadsters, the Honda S2000 and Mazda's Miata. Although the SKY is technically a sister car to the Solstice, it appears that it is better suited to compete against the Japanese brands as the Saturn roadster comes fully equipped and incorporates a sleeker body design. Taking nothing away from the Pontiac, the SKY is definitely the more competitive of the two.

For Saturn, the SKY improves the brand's image immeasurably. Much in the way that the Corvette is a "halo" car for Chevrolet the SKY will be the same for Saturn. Production will be limited to just 10-12,000 vehicles annually and purchasing a SKY will likely mean buyers paying well over sticker price for their car. Indeed, some reports are indicating dealer mark ups as high as $5000 in the face of stiff demand.

Beyond the SKY, Saturn will also be introducing a second new vehicle this year, the Aura. Replacing the L-Series, the Aura midsize sedan borrows heavily from GM's European division, Opel, and incorporates the bold design of SKY in its front end.

Yes, the days of being known as a builder of compact plastic cars in Tennessee is over; a new Saturn is rising and if all the hoopla related to the SKY is any indication, Saturn's future is certainly very promising.

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Matthew Keegan asked:




Step back in time with me if you would, about 20 years to be precise, to an era when automaker General Motors was busy making plans for their all new company, Saturn. This wasn't to be just another GM division mind you as Saturn was created as a separate import fighting company meant to take on the likes of Toyota and Honda. By 1990, the first Saturn cars rolled off a bucolic Tennessee countryside assembly line signaling a new cooperation between workers and management. Immediately, the funky little "S Series" of sedans, wagons, and coupes were a hit and GM was soon lauded for taking a bold initiative.

Today, Saturn is much different from the brand that took on Japan's top automakers. Instead of being a separate, wholly owned car company the make is now one of General Motors' many automotive divisions. The S Series sold well and the introduction of subsequent models helped the brand, but ultimately parent GM decided to pull the company within the General's fold as it chose to close down Oldsmobile instead. Current models being sold by Saturn are much different from what was originally offered, but the company has managed to keep one huge attribute that originally propelled the brand forward: people are first. Let's take a look at Saturn's current line up and the vehicles soon to be introduced.

ION - After a decade of service, the S Series was retired in favor of the comparably sized ION. Unlike the S Series, the ION does not include a wagon, but it does include a four door coupe and sedan. Unfortunately, the car is not very competitive with similar models and GM is looking at an Opel-inspired car to take its place by the end of this decade.

VUE - A recent makeover has kept the VUE, Saturn's small SUV, competitive. In addition, a pending hybrid model is expected to strengthen the line and talk of an all new compact model showing up in 2009 has the auto world abuzz.

RELAY - Saturn's first minivan is a clone to models sold by Chevrolet and Buick. Unlike earlier Saturn models which featured polymer side impact panels [to limit dents], the RELAY is all sheet metal and simply a copy of other divisions' vehicles. Still, the RELAY has filled an important hole in the Saturn line up by offering a larger vehicle for loyal Saturn owners.

SKY - Forget what you might have thought about Saturn previously. The SKY roadster is a hit for one big reason: it is absolutely ****. Sharing components with the Pontiac Solstice, the SKY has radically transformed the brand's image all by itself. Priced under $25,000, the SKY is competitive with the Mazda Miata and is a low cost alternative to the BMW Z4.

AURA - Another vehicle built to battle the division's bland image, the AURA steps in to the midsize category replacing the L Series which was discontinued two years earlier. Based on GM's Epsilon platform, the AURA borrows heavily from GM's German division -- Opel - while incorporating a style and design that favors the Saturn SKY.

OUTLOOK - To be introduced before the end of 2006, the OUTLOOK will be Saturn's first bigger SUV. Although considered to be a "crossover" by many, the OUTLOOK is a 7 passenger SUV meant to complement the smaller VUE. With the addition of the OUTLOOK in the Saturn fold, GM will take a break before tinkering with the Saturn line up.

Truly, Saturn of 2007 will look much different from Saturn of the 1990s. For years, Saturn dealers were content to sell only one model - the S Series - but today's Saturn is going well beyond all of that. With a hybrid VUE in the line up and other variations of existing models also being planned, the once spartan Saturn line up is nearly filled to capacity. This is great news for Saturn loyalists looking for choices beyond the base models and a promise that GM is investing money in its import fighting division.

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Glady Reign asked:




The attention given by General Motors to Saturn was repaid after the brand performed well and helped the automaker increase its May sales compared to last year. The quality offered by Saturn cars tied General Motors with the Toyota Motor Corporation for the fourth place in the Strategic Vision annual quality survey. General Motors and Toyota both trail Volkswagen AG, Nissan Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

The study, which placed General Motors and Toyota tied for fourth, was conducted by Strategic Vision, a research firm based in California. Last year, General Motors finished fifth in the survey.

The Saturn brand in this year's survey finished fifth among the 21 non-luxury brands in the United States auto market. Last year, the brand finished eighth. The brand trails Volkswagen, Nissan, GMC, and Honda brands in this year's survey. One of the reasons for the improvement of Saturn on the list is their Saturn Aura model which bested popular Asian cars in its segment which are the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, and the Nissan Altima.

For the past years, General Motors has been criticized for almost neglecting the Saturn brand. Recently though, the Detroit-based car manufacturer introduced new vehicles to Saturn's lineup to attract and lure in more car buyers. Aside from the Aura, the Saturn Outlook, with its European styling and reliable parts such as Saturn spark plugs, is a concrete example of Saturn's revitalized lineup. In the past, Saturn capitalized on their good customer relations but suffered from dwindling sales as their lineup did not offer much choices and options to consumers.

Instead of just relying on the dealership experience, which they have done for some time, Alexander Edwards says, "We're going to come out with products that are going to blow everybody away." Alexander Edwards is the president of Strategic Vision Inc. The firm tapped 27,000 United States car buyers to get their views on the particular car brands that they have bought or are looking to buy the next time they need a car.

According to Kyle Johnson, the director of Saturn communications, the result of the survey reflects the findings of General Motors' internal research on the Saturn brand. He added that they are "competing at a different level" with the release of their new lineup. Last year, they offered the Saturn Aura and the Saturn Sky and following the release of those cars, Saturn introduced the full size crossover SUV Saturn Outlook. Johnson pointed out the improvements that their current lineup has over their past models saying that: "The interiors have been refined, the handling improved and the body panels, which were dent-resistant plastic in the past, are now steel, allowing for better fits."

The Saturn brand posted the highest increase in sale for the month of May. The brand posted an increase of 69 percent compared to last year's May sales. The brand posted the highest increase in sales of all auto brands in the United States auto market. The May 2007 sales also marked the most number of cars that the brand has sold for a month in its entire history. With its increasing popularity among car buyers and the level of its quality, Saturn is emerging as a strong contender in the United States auto market.

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Matthew Keegan asked:




General Motors' Saturn division is one of the few bright spots for the troubled U.S. automaker. As of this writing, the parent company is in the midst of plant closings, massive layoffs, and big losses. Bankruptcy may be the ultimate "out" for GM, but even if the company doesn't choose that route, big changes are coming nevertheless. Fortunately, the Saturn division is one of the few bright spots for the legendary automaker as are Cadillac, GMC, and select models including the Corvette and the company's big trucks. For Saturn, there is a certain "AURA" about the division both in model name as well as in sensation.

Step back two decades and General Motors is all abuzz over a new car company in the process of being created: Saturn. As a wholly owned subsidiary of GM, Saturn was designed to take on Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda by building compact cars that American drivers really wanted and could rely upon. It worked. For most of the 1990s, the "S Series" was the sole model for Saturn; available in coupe, sedan, and wagon, the S Series achieved cult status and had a loyal following of owners who regularly congregated for meets at Spring Hill, TN where the cars were built. Even when the vehicles' design aged, the S Series maintained its high status with Saturn aficionados.

By the late 1990s, two new lines of vehicles were added to the Saturn brand. The VUE, became the company's sport utility vehicle while the "L Series" was the first large Saturn. In reality, the "L" was a midsize car as it was heavily derived from a model sold by GM's European division, Opel. With the latter model, Saturn hoped to provide the larger vehicle that S Series owners desired. Unfortunately, sales figures barely exceeded half of the quota anticipated by Saturn, so after a few years the model was retired.

Today, Saturn is no longer a separate company. With the demise of Oldsmobile, Saturn is now a full fledged division of General Motors. While some see this move as a bad thing, it has resulted in new products for the brand.

Soon after the L Series was retired, the RELAY was introduced. As the first Saturn model built on a U.S. G.M. platform, the 7 passenger people mover was a far cry from previous models. Still, the vehicle has filled a gaping hole in the Saturn line up.

Just this past Spring the SKY was introduced, an upscale limited production convertible. To say that the car has been received with gladness is an understatement. Quite frankly, the SKY is the "halo" car needed by Saturn, but fortunately the division isn't stopping there.

Although the L Series was a flop, GM is once again turning to its Opel division to produce a car. Combining Opel styling with a U.S. G.M. platform, the AURA sedan will be rolling into a showroom near you very soon.

So, what is so special about the AURA? Its good looks! Although it is nearly impossible to describe the vehicle without showing you a picture, the AURA is simply one imposing car. Although a sedan, the AURA is sporty looking with a grille that is not too far removed from the new SKY. With a 3.6L V6 engine mated to a six speed automatic transmission, the 250 h.p. AURA will definitely compete with the Camry, Accord, and Maxima for sales as well as for performance leadership. Throw in 19 inch wheels, a sporty interior, and responsive handling and the AURA just begs to be driven.

The best part of the AURA is that it isn't the L Series, a car criticized for being too bland and uninspiring. One look at the AURA and you can see that Saturn got it right this time.

Prices for the AURA haven't been announced yet, but you can expect fully loaded models to retail below $25,000 well within the range of its competition.

Will the AURA succeed? Well, it has too! Look for Saturn to do all that it can to make sure that the model is marketed to those who would buy one: the cross section of the North American populace. Yes, Saturn has turned a corner and hopefully the same came be said for the entire company.

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Matthew Keegan asked:




Somebody at General Motors must love Saturn. One hundred year old Oldsmobile was killed off in favor of bringing the Saturn brand in-house. Up until the early part of this decade, Saturn was a separate automaker, wholly owned by GM. Now, as a bonafide GM division, the Saturn line is finally getting some much needed new models including the Sky roadster, the focus of this preview.

In the early 1990s, dent resistant polymer cars with the "S" designation began to roll of a factory line of a new plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Several things were unusual about the project. The first was the company: Saturn. As a wholly owned but separately managed GM company, the Saturn initially escaped GM's often overbearing culture and began to produce cars on its own far removed from Detroit. The second unusual point about the company was the cars itself: compact, import-fighting models designed to withstand the onslaught from Japan of low priced, high quality cars. Available in coupe, sedan, and wagon the cars quickly caught on in part for their engineering as well as for their "no hassle, no haggle" pricing. The sticker price on the car was the price customers paid, making a visit to the Saturn show room a pleasure and not a chore.

As time has passed, the S series grew old and was replaced by the compact ION series. In addition, a midsized sedan and wagon, the L series, briefly served as the "larger" car in Saturn's extremely limited line up beginning in the late 1990s. The L series, based on an Opel platform, was retired in 2004 and replaced by a 7 passenger crossover vehicle, the RELAY. In addition, Saturn had introduced an SUV, the VUE, which is still in production today.

All of this translates into a limited line up, too limited in fact to compete successfully with other car lines. Enter the Saturn Sky.

The Saturn Sky, much like the already introduced Pontiac Solstice is a two seat roadster. Based on GM's new Delta series platform, the Sky, which will officially make its debut next spring as a 2007 model does something that no other Saturn has ever done: generate excitement.

Similar in size and looks to Honda's S2000 Roadster, the Sky will come equipped with 18 inch alloy wheels, a manually operated soft top, a reverse opening clamshell hood, leather bucket seats, and four wheel anti-locking brakes. Standard engine will be a 2.4 170hp I4 paired with either a 5 speed manual or 5 speed automatic transmission.

Prices for the new Sky should come in at several thousand dollars higher than the Pontiac Solstice as the Sky is targeted and equipped slightly upmarket. MSRP starting around 25 thousand dollars is likely; only 10-12,000 models will be produced annually.

Other models are being planned for Saturn, but the Sky represents a fresh departure from what has long been perceived by many as a staid moniker. Judging by many published reports, the Sky is a step in the right direction and we can only hope that the other new models planned for Saturn generate at least half the hype of the Sky.

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Matthew Keegan asked:




Lots of folks are speculating about GM's future. If you take all the press reports at heart, you would think that General Motors is on life support. Quite frankly, the opposite is true especially when you look at the global picture. In 2005, "the General" sold more than 9 million cars worldwide, the first time the automaker reached that figure since 1978. Yes, U.S. auto sales are down and some are calling for GM to reduce its many brands, currently numbering 8. Who should GM let go? Or, should General Motors stick with the game plan and maintain all 8 brands?

For the record, GM's 8 brands are: Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, GMC, Hummer, and Saab. You could take Saab out of that pack as the Swedish automaker (although fully owned by GM) builds few cars in North America. Still, GM includes Saab in its marketing schema so we'll keep them in for argument's sake.

Clearly, Cadillac is GM's luxury division; Chevrolet is it's budget or "All American" division; while GMC is the truck division. Beyond that, there is much muddling of divisions, but Buick is a maker of "near luxury" vehicles (Cadillac lite) while Hummer is GM's specialty truck division. The Saab line is a bit confusing as it once was a true European division. Now, the make is chiefly featuring rebadged GM and Subaru vehicles with little original models to show for it. Finally, Pontiac and Saturn duplicate much of what the other divisions do, although the Saturn mystique of "no haggle pricing" gives the make a certain aura to it. That leaves Pontiac.

Pontiac, like the recently killed off Oldsmobile name, is probably one of the most vulnerable of the true "American" makes. Saturn will survive because its dealer network is tops and consumer satisfaction ranks up there with Lexus.

Ultimately, the Saab name will likely die first. Outside of the U.S., particularly in Europe, Opel is a known name and an important GM make. Word has it that some of Saab's production will shift to Germany and certain rebadged Opels will begin to sport the Saab name. Let's just say once that happens, there is little reason to continue making Saabs. Let the Saab name die with dignity. Why spoil it by selling rebadged Opels as Saabs?

Personally, I think GM should leave well enough alone with its remaining American brands. I wasn't in favor of Oldsmobile's demise and I am not in favor of killing off trusted brands. GM is retooling its operation as old models are killed off and as new or revived models step in. Look for the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Saturn Sky, and the Buick Enclave to help spark their respective divisions to renewed glory. Am I living a pipe dream? Maybe, but at least my imagination is going in a positive direction.

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Glady Reign asked:




In a detailed copy of the new agreement between General Motors and United Auto Workers, the automaker committed plans for its 16 U.S. assembly plants. However, the new deal also posed potential shutting down of plants in Michigan and Indiana and other facilities. The new vehicle production in the 16 plants was GM’s response to the UAW’s demands for job security. On October 10, the 74,000 GM hourly employees will complete the ratification of the new deal.

The details of the deal were posted in the internet by Gregg Shotwell, a GM worker and a UAW critic. According to Shotwell, he got the copy of the agreement from a UAW official who attended the contract briefing held in the UAW’s headquarters in Detroit. He did not give the identity of the official as the person requested for anonymity since the deal was not yet been voted upon.

The new contract calls for selling or closing of a plant in Indianapolis and closing an engine plant in Livonia, Detroit. The “white book”, a detailed document revealing that the Indianapolis stamping operation will still continue or for potential relocation to another GM plant “until such time as the plant can be sold to an outside buyer”.

The document also said that GM is considering to keep the plant, however if the plant is not sold or kept, it will be shut down “no sooner than December 2011”. The plant is providing 850 jobs according to a GM web site.

The Livonia plant in Detroit employing 300 workers will continue its operations until its present vehicle production ends in 2010.

“The national parties will jointly explore opportunities for current Livonia seniority employees,” the document said.

The “white book” document also disclosed that the operations of plants in Flint and Parma, Ohio near Cleveland are also in danger. Under the heading “Product Opportunities”, GM and UAW will look for opportunities for the employees in the Flint plant.

For the Parma plant, the document said that there is no future powertrain products that will be allocated. The plant has stamping operations which will continue to generate new products.

Other GM facilities declared as idle will also be closed, according to the document.

Under the new agreement, the Flint North engine plant will add a new facility. GM will be building three “lean, agile, flex engine modules” in a new site close to the plant. The new plant is expected to manufacture a huge number of engines as many as 1,200 four and six-cylinder engines per day.

GM has no plans for the Orion Township plant assembly plant that presently produces the Pontiac G6 under the new agreement, giving edge to the fierce competitors of the G6 like BMW and Volvo and its Volvo parts. The document also said that both UAW and GM are exploring opportunities for future products. GM is also planning to transfer Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice production from the Wilmington plant in Delaware to the plant in Bowling Green Ky, after the production cycle ends in 2011.

“No future product allocation has been identified beyond the life of the current agreement,” the document says of Wilmington.

“This isn’t a very genuine job security agreement,” Shotwell said.

“The UAW didn’t win anything. The plants that are allowed to stay operating were already allowed to stay open.” he added.

Shotwell’s assessment did not convince union officials from factories that will receive new products provided by the new deal.



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Mr. Ashok Sharma asked:


WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LAWYER AND A BARRISTER?

A lawyer is a person who practises law; one who conducts lawsuits for clients or advises clients of their legal rights and obligations. A barrister is a legal practitioner whose main function is to practice advocacy in court. They often have less interaction with clients. Barristers spend their working hours in chambers where they prepare their cases.

WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THE KEW GARDEN?

Kew Gardens in Thames, London is best known for being the home of the Royal Botanical Gardens (now a world heritage site). Other points of interest-include the Kew Palace and the National Archives (previously known as the Public Records Office) The Kew Gardens is special because it is an important international botanical research and education institution with a staff of over 700 people.

WHAT IS THE ‘COOL BIZ’ CAMPAIGN?

This is a campaign introduced by Japan. In order, to save energy, it asks office goers and politicians to remove their ties and jackets to minimise the use of air conditioners and thereby reduce consumption of electricity and also the emission of greenhouse gases. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel who is currently visiting Japan to discuss, among other things, ways to tackle global warming, had a taste of the 'cool biz' campaign when the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe informed her that his entourage wouldn't be wearing their ties to adhere to the 'cool biz' campaign.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM POCKET MONEY?

Before the advent of pockets in shirts and trousers, money was kept in bags and sachets. Later, a smart tailor made a pocket on a garment and it became so useful, further innovations made a pocket suitable to safely keep money From then on, money kept in pockets for expenses came to known as pocket money

WHAT IS ENTABLATURE?

It is the horizontal upper part of a wall or storey of a building designed on the principles of classical architecture. It is usually supported on columns, and consists of  three parts. These are the architrave, the lowermost part; the frieze, the decorative band in the middle; and the cornice, the crowning ornamental projection. Entablature was originally conceived by Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect.

WHICH IS THE WORLD'S FIRST AIR SHOW?

The world's first air show was the International Air Meet held at Rheims, Franceheld in 1909. India's first air show, AVIA-93 was held in December, 1993 in Bangalore. The world's biggest air show was the  47th Paris Air Show. However, the world's largest military air show  the RoyalInternational Air Tattoo (RAF Fairford, United Kingdom), held annually in July.

WHAT IS A CIRCUIT FILTER?

A circuit filter is used in trading of shares in stock exchange. It's applied to all the shares, to supposedly safeguard the interest of general investors from the extreme volatilities in markets by preventing any unexpected fall or rise of share price in a single day beyond a limit. If the limit is crossed by any of the shares in a single trading day it is frozen for trade.

WHAT IS THE GINI COEFFICIENT?

The Gini Coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. It is defined as a ratio with values between 0 and 1: the numerator is the area between the Lorenz curve of the distribution and the uniform distribution line; the denominator is the area under the uniform distribution line. Thus, a low Gini Coefficient indicates more equal income or wealth distribution, while a high Gini Coefficient indicates more unequal distribution.

WHAT IS THE TRIPLE FINGER SALUTE?

The three-finger salute is used by members of Scouts and Guides organisations around the world when greeting other Scouts and Guides and at some ceremonies. The salute is made with the palm face out, the thumb holding down the little finger, and the fingertips on the brow. In computer parlance, the triplefmger salute refers to describe the three-key sequence — Alt + Ctrl + Del — developed by David Bradley This term became popular after IBM PC compatible users continually hold down these keys each time their computers froze or had other problems.

WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE WELL-COME COLLECTION?

The Wellcome Collection traces The development of medicine through history and spanning several cultures. Located in central London, it is a combination of exhibitions, libraries and cafes where people can learn more about the development of medicine. Part of the Well-come Trust, it was founded by Sir Henry Wellcome, a pharmacist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector, who garnered  a unique collection of articles relating to medicine and health. Recently, a British heart transplant patient, Jennifer Sutton, donated her old heart to the Well-come Collection, after receving a new one.

WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE BAUDHAYAN THEOREM?

Baushayan Sulv Sutra (1000 BC) is today known as the Pythogorus theorem, which states that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. In Baudhayan theorem, this has been expressed as follows: in a Deerghchatursh (triangle), the chetra (square) of rajju (hypotenuse) is equal to the sum of squares of the parshvamani (base) and triyangmani (perpendicular line). It is amazing to note that the pythagorus theorem was known in our country as far back as 1000 BC.

WHY IS THE NUMBER 1 NOT CONSIDERED A PRIME NUMBER THOUGH IT FITS THE DEFINITION?

The number 1, in fact, does not fit the definition of a prime number. A positive integer is called a prime number only if there are exactly two divisors of that number. Since 1 has exactly one divisor (which is 1 itself), it does not fit this definition. Another equivalent definition of a prime number is this prime number's only positive divisor should be less than 1 and itself. Again, 1 does not fit this definition either— there are no positive divisors of 1 which are less that 1.

WHICH NATION HAS THE SMALLEST ARMY IN THE WORLD?

Vatican City, the world's smallest country, has the smallest army. This army of 110 men, is also known as the Swiss Guard. Last year, the Vatican celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Swiss Guard. The celebration commemorated the 150 Swiss Helvetian mercenaries who came to Rome to serve Pope Julius II, on January 22,1506. The mercenaries covered a distance of 723 km in 27 days to enter Rome from Bellinzona, Switzerland. Swiss Helvetian mercenaries, famous for their courage, die-hard attitude and loyalty to their employers, were part of the regular armies of various countries at that time. As allies of the Pope, they helped to shape Italy's destiny and thus they were granted the title ^Defenders of the Church's freedom' by the Pope. During the Sack of Rome on May 6, 1527, the Swiss Guard, comprising 189 personnel at that time, resisted a Spanish attack on Rome and the Vatican. But they had to retreat after suffering heavy casualties. Only 42 men survived the attack. However, the Guard was able to ensure Pope Clement VII’s escape to safety.

WHERE WAS WINE FIRST MADE?

Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. Probably, the first people to make wine were Persian farmers living near the Caspian Sea. The Egyptians learned how to make wine from them as long back as 3000 BC. In the fourth century BC., the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great carried grapevines and the knowledge of wine-making to Central Asia. Roman invaders probably took vines to northern France and Germany in later centuries. Wine was common in the everyday lives of the early Greeks and Romans. It was important to their religious ceremonies. The God of wine was called Bacchus by the Romans and Dionysus by the Greeks.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARXISM AND SOCIALISM?

Socialism is a modern doctrine and is Western in origin, emerging with the development of industrial capitalism at the start of the nineteenth century. Socialism denotes a broad system of ideas. Marxism is a materialistic conception of history which seeks to explain the development of all societies and furthermore, make predictions about future social change. Marxists consider the material world, nature and society as constantly moving. Whereas, the socialists emphasise the organic unity of society. Marxists consider the material world as an integrated whole in which all things and phenomena are interconnected and interdependent. Whereas, socialists believe in equality and abolition of private enterprise. Marxism provides a scientific explanation of nature and society and hence, was a powerful instrument for revolutionary transformation. The society envisaged by socialists rests on certain values: redistribution of wealth to get rid of inequality, cooperative production to get rid of selfish competitors and new patterns of work and education to promote the growth of well-rounded individuals.

WHAT IS A HYPERCUBE?

Hypercube is the generalization in n-dimensions of a square in two dimensions and a cube in three dimensions. A square has four vertices (22), a cube, 8 vertices (23). Similarly, an n-dimensional hypercube has 2n vertices. In the famous painting 'Christus Hypercubus', Salvador Dali depicted Christ crucified on an unfolded four-dimensional hypercube. Examining the shadow of a cube reveals a square within a square. Similarly, the shadow of a four-dimensional hypercube will be a cube within a cube.

WHY IS THE ALPHABET WRITTEN IN A SPECIFIC ORDER?

The alphabet has often been described as an arbitrary collection of symbols representing an arbitrary collection of sounds. Its order is equally random. The word alphabet comes from alpha and beta, the first two words in the Greek alphabet.

WHAT IS STEAMING DISTANCE?

Steaming distance is the shortest distance between two ports, which a ship traverses while sailing from one port to another. It need not be along a straight line as, due to various physical and political constraints, it may not be always be desirable to sail along a straight route.

WHICH IS THE OLDEST CIVILIZATION IN THE WORLD?

This has long been a subject of much debate and to this day no one is absolutely sure which is the oldest civilisation. This is mostly because people cannot agree on the definition of the word civilisation. The most common definition of the word is 'an advanced state of development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the extensive use of writing, and complex political and social institutions'. Mesopotamia is considered as the most likely answer to the question, based on archaeological evidence and the above definition. It is believed that Mesopotamian history starts from the emergence of urban societies in Southern Iraq in the 4th millennium.

HOW IS A COUNTRY'S GDP MEASURED?

GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. GDP is customarily reported on an annual basis. It is the nation's broadest gauge of economic health. It includes all of private and public consumption, government outlays, investments and exports and imports that occur within a defined territory The most common approach to measuring GDP is the expenditure method: GDP = consumption + investment (govern- ment spending) + (exports - imports). Another way of measuring GDP is to measure the total income payable in the GDP income accounts. This should provide the same figure as the expenditure method. Another formula is: GDP = rent + interests + profits + statistical adjustments (like corporate income taxes, dividends, undistributed corpo-1 rate profits) + wages.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF TOULOUSE?

University of Toulouse is one of the oldest universities of France and is located in Toulouse, a city in Southern France on the banks of the Garonne river. It was founded in 1229 AD as a result of the Paris Treaty marking the end of the battle between the Roman Catholic Church and its opponents. Foulques de Toulouse, the then bishop of Toulouse, played a major role in the setting up of the university. Now, the university has an enrolment exceeding 1,00,000, and is the second largest university in France. The sixteenth century philosopher and astronomer Bruno and the Chemistry Nobel Laureate Sabatier, and the artist Dulac were some of its most illustrious faculty members.

IN ANCIENT TIMES, WHY WERE PIGEONS USED FOR SENDING MESSAGES?

Pigeons were used for sending messages not only in ancient times, but as recently as early the 1900s, during World War I. A particular breed of pigeons called homing pigeons are specially suited for carrying messages, because they possess the uncanny ability of flying back to their home over long distances at high speeds. According to some reports, a homing pigeon flew back to its home after flying over 1600 miles at the peak speed of 60 miles per hour. Exactly how such birds navigate themselves is still not clear. Scientists hypothesise that the pigeon uses a variety of sources like the direction of the Sun, Earth's magnetism, and odours associated with different places for finding its direction. Before the advent of telegraph, telephone and radio, using pigeons for sending messages was quite popular among the military, newspapers, and stock brokers. Such a messaging system was known as pigeon post.

WHAT IS AN ATLAS CALLED SO?

Atlas is the term used to refer to a collection of maps, printed in a set order: world map, maps of the continents, each followed by maps of the several regions within that continent, and with an alphabetical gazetteer or list of place names, giving coordinates for various places, rivers, regions etc. The first use of the term atlas dates back to 1595 with the publication in Duisburg of the Atlas Sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi Et Fabricati Figura by Gerard Mercator (1512-94). It was named after King Atlas, a mythical King of Mauretania in Libya, who was, according to legend, a wise philosopher, mathematician and astronomer and who supposedly made the first celestial globe. However, the more widely known Atlas is a figure from Greek mythology He is the son of the Titan lapetus and Clymene^or Asia), and brother of Prometheus. Atlas was punished by Zeus and made to bear the weight of the heavens and Earth on his back.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM 'RULE OF THUMB' ?

One theory about the phrase's origin lies in the misplaced public belief that the English law allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick measuring no longer than his thumb. There was actually no such English law enacted at any time. This phrase has been in circulation since the 17th century This phrase commonly refers to any means of estimation based on a practical and ready method but not on scientific measurement. Another theory concerning the phrase's origin involves the numerous ways in which thumbs have been used for estimation. Some examples are — measurement of distance based on an estimated inch which is about the length of a thumb; judging the alignment or distance of an object by holding the thumb at eye level etc.

WHAT IS RED CORNER NOTICE?

Certain requests used by Interpol are sent in the forms of notices. The colour of each notice determines the type of information being sent or received by Interpol and its members. A red corner notice is issued at the request of a country's law enforcement authority. The requesting country asks for a red notice to be issued when a criminal evades arrest and escapes from the country.

WHICH IS THE SMALLEST AND LARGEST CITY IN THE WORLD BY AREA AND POPULATION?

The largest city in the world by population is Tokyo with over 35 million people. It was the world's most populous urban area between 1965 and 1970. However, despite Japan's declining population, it is still growing. The smallest city in the world by population is Hum. It has a population of only 23 people. It is a tiny town in the central part of Istria, North-West Croatia, 7 km from Roh, 14 km South-East of Buzet on a hill above the Mirna Valley The largest city in the world by area is Hulun Buir, encompassing 263,953 km. The smallest city in the world by area is Vatican City with an area of 44 hectares (108.7 acre). It is a landlocked sovereign city state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It is officially called State of the Vatican City.

WILL CREATING TWO TIME ZONES FOR INDIA SAVE ENERGY?

There is no statistical evidence of two time zones being economically beneficial other than restoring a sense of normalcy to the area that follows its local meridian time zone. India geographically extends from 68 degrees East to 97 degrees East (29 degrees) from Gujarat to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, thereby encompassing two time zones. However, it has adopted the Allahabad meridian of 72 degrees, which makes it convenient for the railways, airlines and media. This leads to weird experiences for travelers from Central India who visit the North-Eastern states which receive daylight before 5 am. This entails an extra cost to the economy in terms of industrial arid office lighting spent in these regions, since daybreak here doesn't coincide with the rest of the country. Also, there tends to be more traffic when it is dark.

IS IT TRUE THAT CREATING TWO TIME ZONES FOR INDIA WILL SAVE ENERGY?

The Indian Standard Time is based on the meridian at 82 1/2 degrees East, which is 5 1/2 hours ahead of the Greenwich meridian. India's geographical middle lies at 82 1/2 degrees East, which was incorrectly mentioned as 72 degrees East.

WHAT IS SECURITISATION?

Securitisation is the process through which existing assets or future cash flows are converted into marketable securities. Those assets or cash flows are, inherently, not marketable. There are two types of securitisation — assetbacked securitisation and futureflows securitisation. Some of the assets that can be securitised are loans and future cash flows like credit card payments, car rentals or any other form of future receivables. Securitisation is common in the US and Europe, but in India it is in a nascent stage.

WHEN AND WHERE WAS THE NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED?

Acta Diurna' was the first news paper published in Rome, around 59 BC. In 1605, the first printed weekly newspaper to be published in Antwerp was called Relation. Johann Carolus (1575-1634) was the publisher of the Relation aller Furnemmen und gedenckwurdigen Historien (Collection of all Distinguished and Commemorable News). The ^Relation' is recognized by the World Association of Newspapers, as well as many authors, as the world's first newspaper. The German Relation was published in Strasbourg, which had the status of an imperial free city in the holy Roman empire of the German nation.

WHEN WAS THE BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES?

The Battle of Los Angeles took place during the night of February 24/25, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. The battle involved heavy firing of anti-aircraft shells by the US forces aimed at several mysterious flying objects reportedly sighted in the sky over Los Angeles. These objects were thought to be Japanese military aircraft. However, even till today, their identity has not convincingly established. Even though six civilians lost their lives in the bombardment, there was no evidence that the firing destroyed any flying object. The firing was preceded by a blackout and Sounding of air raid sirens. Now, many believe that the battle was the result of a false alarm, triggered by weather balloons, or Japanese blimps. Some even think the source of the alarm could be a flying object of extraterrestrial origin.

WHO IS LADY JUSTICE?

The origin may be Themis, a Greek mythological goddess, who advised Zeus after his purge of the old pantheon. A daughter of Themis and Zeus, Dike, known as a goddess of justice but not divine justice, presided over the apportionment of things among mortals, the protection of individuals and the social and political order. At times, **** is said to be the same as (or is confused with) Astraea. Astraea is also a daughter of Themis and Zeus and is known as a goddess of justice. In western tradition, Lady Justice sometimes wears a blindfold and carries a sword and scales. She symbolises the fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, avarice, prejudice, or favour.

WHO DESIGNED THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL?

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. is a United States presidential memorial built to honour its 16th President Abraham Lincoln. The architect is Henry Bacon (an American Beaux-Arts architect), the sculptor is Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the murals inside is Jules Guerin. The building is in the form of a Greek Doric temple and contains a large, seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and inscriptions of two well-known speeches by Lincoln.

WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES?

According to UNESCO, India tops the list with 8,407 universities. It's followed by the United States  (5,759), Argentina (1,705) and Spain (1,415).

WHO ARE HOBOS?

Hobos is an American word which refers to homeless people wandering about in search of work. In earlier days, hobos were supposed to move around by hopping from one freight train to another, just to save the cost of transportation. Hobos and hobo culture began in mid-19fh century, when the ending of the Civil War caused severe unemployment in the US and several people left their homes and started moving about the whole country in search of jobs. A similar phenomenon happened during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Although the term owes its origin to the above phenomena, it is used today to refer to a tramp in general, an aimless traveller not necessarily looking for work. There are several theories related to how the word hobo got coined: some say the word has been derived from the phrase hopping box cars, and some others that it is a shortened version of the rail-road greeting 'Ho Beau,' popular in the 19th century

WHICH CONTINENT HAS THE MOST NUMBER OF PORTS?

With over 1,000 ports, Europe is perhaps the continent with most number of ports. The UK alone has over 200 ports and European ports handle about 3.5 billion tones of cargo.

WHY IS A SANDLOT USED AS A PLAYING AREA FOR CHILDREN?

A sandlot refers to a vacant lot used by children to play games, mostly unorganised ones. Unlike a playground specifically created for certain games, sandlots perhaps developed as informal spaces which children made use of to serve as makeshift playgrounds. In the US, sandlot baseball refers to an advanced version of the game played by teams not affiliated with either the Major or Minor leagues in the country

WHO ARE WING WALKERS?

Wing walkers are those who walk on wings of an airplane in flight. Recently, a wing walker hung from a 450 Stearman aircraft when it was in flight. This stunt was performed as part of the Flying Circus Air Show in Bealeton, Virginia.

WHAT ARE P-NOTES?

P-Notes are financial instruments that facilitate investment in Indian securities by foreign investors or hedge funds that are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Indian brokerage houses buy the securities on behalf of these foreign investors and hedge funds and issue P-Notes to them. Any dividends or capital gains collected from the underlying securities will keep going back to the foreign investors and hedge funds. The value of P-Notes is determined on the basis of shares listed on the stock exchanges.

WHY IS THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA REFERRED TO AS A RAINBOW NATION?

The Republic of South Africa is referred to as a Rainbow Nation to describe the unity of various cultural, racial or ethnic groups in the country during the postapartheid era (after 1994) compared to the earlier divisiveness based on skin colour. This phrase was coined by the then Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, and later used by Nelson Mandela, the first President of the Republic of South Africa elected in the first polls conducted after apartheid rule officially ended. In some South African cultures, the rainbow is always associated with hope and a bright future. Incidentally, the South African Hag also has six rainbow-like colours.

WHO IS THE SECOND ASIAN AFTER RABINDRANATH TAGORE TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE?

Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970) of Israel shared the 1966 Nobel Prize for Literature with Nelly Leonie Sachs (1891-1970), a GermanSwedish poet. This was 53 years after Tagore won the prize in 1913. The first Asian after Tagore to win it solo was Kawabata Yasunari (1899-1972), a Japanese novelist, in 1968.

WHICH IS THE WORLD'S FIRST POST OFFICE?

Although the origins of the postal system date back to antiquity, the British Postal Museum claims the oldest functioning post office in the world is on High Street in Sanquhar, Scotland. According to the museum, this post office has functioned continuously since 1712 AD. Sanquhar is a quiet, insignificant town, but in its heyday, its residents included many influential aristocrats, who must have played a significant role in having the first post office located there. Those days, horses and stage coaches would carry mail.

WHAT IS A CALLIOPE?

It is a musical instrument with a loud, shrill sound that's audible miles away It is used to attract attention at circuses and fairs. It was invented in the United States around 1850 by A S Denny and patented in 1855 by Joshua C Stoddard. It consists of a boiler which forces steam through a set of whistle pipes. Either a keyboard or a pinned cylinder (like that of a barrel organ or music box) controls the entry of steam into the pipes.

• Calliope was one of the nine muses in Greek mythology. Her name means beautiful voiced and she was the daughter of Zeus (God of sky and thunder) and Mnemosyne (Goddess of memory). She is the muse of epic poetry and eloquence. She was the oldest and wisest of the muses as well as the most assertive. She is often represented as a stately young woman whose brow is crowned with gold, while in some legends, she is seen with a writing tablet, scroll, or book in her hand and wearing a gold crown. She is best known as the inspiration for Homer's Miad and the Odyssey. WHY IS SUN TEMPLE, KONARK CALLED THE 'BLACK PAGODA?

Today, the Sun Temple, a magnificent pagoda, is located 2 km from the sea but, in olden times, it was much closer. So, the temple was used as a navigational point by European sailors. They referred to it as the 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark colour and its magnetic power that drew ships into the shore and caused shipwrecks.

WHEN WAS THE SICAB HORSE SHOW FIRST HELD?

In 1980, the first Sicab (Salon Internacional del Caballo) was organised in Seville. The following year, it took place in Madrid. Today, there are more than 200 horse shows a year dedicated exclusively to the Purebred Spanish Horse.

WHEN WERE CHOPSTICKS FIRST USED?

Chopsticks were made over 5,000 years ago in China. The earliest version of chopsticks were plain sticks or branches from trees which were used to retrieve food from fire. The teachings of Confucius forbade followers to use knives at the dining table, which further increased the popularity of chopsticks in Eastern Asia. Today, chopsticks are no longer confined to culinary purposes. Japan has even launched a bra called 'My Chopsticks Bra' which is made from recycled chopsticks. This would reduce the decimation of entire forests to manufacture chopsticks.

WHAT IS A ‘BREATHING FABRIC’?

A 'breathing fabric' is designed to prevent the wearer from getting too hot or cold by adjusting itself to both the internal and external temperatures. The textile is made up of a layer of thin spikes of wool, or another water-absorbent material that opens up when it's made wet by the wearer's sweat. When the layer dries out, the spikes automatically close up again. A second layer underneath protects the wearer from the rain.

WHAT IS A TITANIUM TOOTHBRUSH?

Titanium toothbrushes, which were invented in Japan and now are being exported to the US, might help do away with toothpaste. One variety of the toothbrush uses titanium dioxide, which causes an electrochemical reaction while brushing and this helps remove plaque. The other type uses titanium bristles that last for several years.

WHY IS SATURN ASSOCIATED WITH AGRICULTURE?

In Roman mythology, Saturn is regarded as the god of agriculture. He is usually depicted holding a scythe to harvest land. Farmers in ancient Rome believed that Saturn had the power to bring a good harvest and if made angry could destroy it. In order to receive his blessings, they held a festival named Saturnalia. According to another myth, Saturn established the Golden Age in Rome. He introduced agriculture to his people by teaching them how to farm the land.

WHAT CAUSES THE HEILIGENSCHEIN EFFECT? WHO DISCOVERED IT?

If an observer stands on dew-covered grass with his or her back turned towards the early morning sun, the observer is likely to observe a faint glow around the shadow of his or her head on the grass. Such a faint glow is called Heiligenschein, and the above optical phenomenon, the Heiligenschein effect. It occurs because the dew droplets act as tiny lenses focusing both the sunlight falling on the surface on which the shadow is cast, and the light that is back-scattered by the surface. In general, when a long shadow is cast on certain irregular surfaces with specific optical characteristics, the above effect occurs. Although Heiligenschein must have been known for a long time, it was first described in writing by the Italian sculptor and painter Benevenuto Cellini (1500-1571). Sometimes it's called the Cellinis halo. In German, Heiligenschein means holy glow.

WHAT ARE THE OLEFINS?

An alkene, olefin or olefine is a class of highly reactive unsaturated hydrocarbons, recovered from petroleum, with at least one carbon-carbon double bond. The simplest alkenes, with only one double bond and no other functional groups, form a homologous series of hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n, eg. Ethylene (ethane), propylene (propene), butylenes (butene) and so on. The olefins are widely used for making synthetic fibres.

WHO BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER?

Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14,1947. He flew a plane faster than the velocity of the sun and broke the sound barrier which caused explosive vibrations over the atmosphere.

WHAT IS THE MONTY HALL PROBLEM?

The Monty Hall problem talks about a situation where there are three closed doors —a goat lies behind two and a car behind the third. A person is asked to select a door (which is not opened immediately). Instead, one of the two unchosen doors are opened and the content is revealed, which incidentally turns out to be a goat. The person is now asked whether he would like to switch his choice to the other unopened door. This gets him thinking. Will changing his choice increase the possibility of winning the car? Common knowledge lets us assume that since now there are two closed doors (one with a goat and the other with a car), chances of winning a car if either of the doors are chosen is 1/2. Hence, it really isn't a winning situation to motivate a person to change the choice. However, what one needs to remember is the fact that when the person initially made the choice, all three doors were closed and the probability of having a goat behind a closed -toor was 2/3. Now that we already know of ie door that has a goat behind it, chances f winning the door with the car if the peron decides to change his initial choice is /3, which is higher than what he would am if he refuses to change his decision.

WHO INVENTED THE HELICOPTER?

French inventor Launoy and Bienvenue created a toy with rotary wings which could take off vertically and fly The term helicopter was later coined by French writer Ponton D'Amecot: helico for spiral and pter for wing. It was only in 1907 that the first helicopter was piloted by PaulCornu, who also created the model. The 100th anniversary of the helicopter's first flight was celebrated on November 13,2007.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE LAUGHING BUDDHA?

Hotel or Pu-Tai is better known as the Laughing Buddha. The image of Hotel is based on a Chinese Zen monk who lived over 1000 years ago. Many regarded him a future Buddha because of his benevolent nature. It was due to his large protruding stomach and smile that he came to be known as the Laughing Buddha; His image graces many temples, restaurants and homes in China and Japan. Legend has it that if one rubs the Laughing Buddha's great belly, it brings wealth, good luck and prosperity

WHAT ARE BLUELAWS AND WHY THEY ARE CALLED SO?

A bluelaw is enacted by the people of the Dominion of New Haven. These laws in the United States and Canada are designed to enforce moral standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest. They came to be known as bluelaws because they were supposedly printed on blue paper. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support this assertion.

WHO IS CREDITED WITH HAVING THE HIGHEST IQ?

Marilyn vos Savant is an American magazine columnist, author, lecturer and playwright who rose to fame through her listing in the Guinness Book of World Records under the Highest IQ category, with a score of 228. She wrote for acolumn called Ask Marilyn in a magazine in which she answers questions from readers on a variety of subjects.

WHICH IS THE WORLD'S FIRST COURIER SERVICE?

Overseas Courier Service, the world's first courier service providing firm, was established in 1957 by a consortium of major newspaper publishers in Tokyo as a global, overnight delivery system for time-sensitive business publications. It was the first such private international network, dedicated entirely to overseas air-speed shipping.

WHY IS LAS VEGAS CALLED SO?

Las Vegas was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo Party, who used the water in the area while heading along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 1800s, areas of the Las Vegas Valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or meadows (vegas in Spanish) and hence the name Las Vegas.

WHO INVENTED THE CLOCK?

The earliest way of telling the time was by looking at the progress of the shadow cast by a twig stuck up-right in the ground. Round about 1300 BC, this was developed by the inhabitants of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia into the sundial. The sundial served for a thousand years until the invention of the clepsydra, or water clock. This was the first clock with moving parts. The mechanical clock was not invented until the 13th century and it was driven by weights. The spring-driven clock was invented sometime around 1450 AD.

WHO INVENTED THE CLOCK?

The primitive type of clock was invented by Henry de Wick in 1368. He installed it on the tower of the castle of the king of France. Using the technique of a pendulum, the clock was developed by French engineer Hyudhence in 1639. Electricity was deployed in the clock by Alexander Ben around 1840-50.

WHO ARE 'THE LITTLE EMPERORS'?

They refer to obese little boys in China without any siblings. They are heavily doted on by their parents and grandparents, who feed them calorie-laden candies and fast food. As a result, obesity has become a problem amongst Chinese teenagers. It's also seen as a fallout of the strict population policy of China which restricts couples from having more than one child, because of which parents and relatives tend to spoil their children with fatty foods.

WHAT WERE GULAG CAMPS?

The Gulag, a system of forced labour camps in the former USSR, was first established in 1919 under the Cheka, its secret police. Prisoners included murderers, thieves, and other common criminals along with political and religious dissenters. The Gulag, whose camps were located mainly in remote regions of Siberia and the far North of USSR made significant contributions to the Soviet economy in the period of Joseph Stalin. Conditions in the camps were extremely harsh. After Stalin died in 1953, the Gulag population was reduced significantly, and condition of inmates somewhat improved.

WHO IS CHE GUEVARA?

Ernesto Che Guevara was a Cuban revolutionary leader. Though communism may have lost its fire, he remains the symbol of rebellion and the alluring zeal of revolution. By the time Ernesto Guevara, known to us as Che, was murdered in the jungles of Bolivia in October 1967, he was already a legend, not only in Latin America but also around the world. His fearless last words, reportedly, were "Shoot, coward, you're only going to kill a man".

WHO IS CHE GUEVARA?

Though a comrade of Fidel Castro in the Cuban revolution, Ernesto Che Guevara was actually from Argentina, not Cuba. His nickname 'Che' (loosely translates as 'yaar' in India) is an Argentinian slang.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF JAZZ MUSIC?

Jazz originated among the Black people in New Orleans in the late 19th century and is characterized by syncopated rhythms and improvisation. It has since developed various styles. Jazz originally drew on Ragtime, Gospel, Black spiritual songs, West African rhythms, and European harmonies. The term jazz originated in southern United States (it is first recorded in 1909, applied to a type of ragtime dance), and it is tempting to speculate that its ancestor crossed the Atlantic on the slave ships from Africa. In the absence of any certain origin, various colourful alternative theories have been put forward, for instance, the name jazz came from the nickname of a certain Jasbo Brown, an itinerant musician along the banks of the Mississippi.

WHAT IS AGENT ORANGE?

Agent Orange is a defoliant herbicide mixture used during the Vietnam War to destroy forests in Vietnam. The United States sprayed 20 million gallons of Agent Orange over forests in Vietnam, and as a result, members of the armed forces were exposed to it. Agent Orange, named as such due to the orange colour of its storage drums, is a 50:50 mixture of the butyl esters of 2, 4-D and 2,4,5-T. It is probable that damage to humans would be due to the highly toxic impurity dioxin present in Agent Orange.

HOW OLD IS THE JERUSALEM OLD CITY?

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities of the world, having a history that begins in the fourth millennium BC. There was a mention of the city even in the Egyptian texts that belonged to 20th century BC. David was the first Jewish king to conquer the city of Jerusalem in 1007 BC and adopt it as his capital. Over the next several centuries, the city has been conquered and ruled by several different groups of people and countries, and has become a holy city for Jews, Muslims and Christians. Today, it is under the control of Israel and happens to be Israel's largest city. What has been the city of Jerusalem until 1860s, is the 0.9 square kilometre walled portion inside the modern city of Jerusalem. The walled portion is called the old city today. The old city is divided into four quarters, Armenian, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish, and houses many important shrines.

WHO IS KNOWN AS A MATHLETE?

Just as athletes participate in athletic events, matheletes are those who compete in mathematics competitions. The word is a trademark of MathCount Foundation. Recently, a French mathlete named Alexis Lemaire calculated the 13th root of a 200-digit number in just over 70 seconds. By doing so, he beat his own previous record of 72.4 seconds at an event in London's Science Museum.

WHAT IS A MOM-AND-POP SHOP?

A mom-and-pop shop is a colloquial expression for a single-family operated business with few or no employees other than the owners. Sometimes, fewer than ten employees work in these small or micro businesses. People who speak of mom-and-pop businesses often refer to the unique perspective offered by patronizing a family business. Some encourage the unknown experience of entering a mom-and-pop establishment over franchise businesses, which typically offer comparable stores and similar consumer experiences, regardless of location. For example, mom-and-pop businesses are often highlighted in travel guides, because going to a business owned and operated by a family allows a traveller to fully experience and understand the people of another culture.

WHO INVENTED CHEWING GUM?

Thomas Adams, a rubber scientist, invented chewing gum. He was working with a substance called chicle, a gum prepared from the latex of the saphodila tree, a tropical evergreen plant. By chance, he popped a small piece of chicle into his mouth and chewed it casually to while away time. Suddenly, it occurred to him that others may derive pleasure from chewing chicle, which is, even today, a chief ingredient in chewing gum.

WHICH IS THE LONGEST ACRONYM IN USE?

Adcomsubordcomphibspac is the longest English acronym. It's a navy term which stands for Administrative Command, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet Subordinate Command.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FRESCO AND A MURAL?

A mural is any large painting on a wall, ceiling or any other large structure. There are many techniques used to make them. A fresco, executed using water-soluble paints on wet or dry limestone, is one of the techniques and probably the most popular. A primary characteristic of a fresco is that the paintings, though often done in parts, are generally related by a common thread. For example, the frescoes on the walls and ceilings of Ajanta caves in India (6th century) depict the Jataka tales — stories from Buddha's life.

WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘WOOT’ MEAN?

If lay persons say 'yay', then ******** gamers would say 'wOOt'. This phrase, an expression of joy by on-line gamers, has been selected as the word of the year by the US dictionary publisher Merriam Webster.

WHAT IS THE NYQUIST RATE?

In data communication, the sampling theorem states that a continuous signal can be completely represented in its sampled form and recovered from the sampled form if the sampling frequency f is equal to 2W, where W is the maximum frequency of that continuous signal. This minimum sampling rate of 2W samples per second for a signal having maximum frequency of W is called the Nyquist Rate.

WHAT IS THE PHOBIA OF ALIENS CALLED?

Fear or dislike of foreigners or aliens is called xenophobia. The word xenophobia is a combination of two Greek words — xenos (foreigners) and phobos (fear). When a majority of people in a country suffer from xenophobia, the phobia can lead to mass expulsion of people of foreign origin, or banning of certain foreign cultural elements. Xenophobia is different from racism, although often both words are used interchangeably Racism implies a hatred of people of other races, irrespective of whether they belong to one's own country, whereas xenophobia implies hatred of people of other countries or regions. In science fiction, xenophobia refers to fear of extraterrestrial beings. Scientists explain xenophobia as a defence mechanism evolved in humans in response to the need to win in inter-group competition in society and Nature.

WHAT IS THE GUDERMANNIAN FUNCTION?

The Gudermannian function, named after Christoph Gudermann (1798 -1852), relates to the circular and hyperbolic trigonometric functions without using complex numbers.

HOW IS A BARGE DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR BOAT?

The word originally referred to any small boat; the modern meaning arose around 1480. A barge is a flatbottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Most barges are not self-propelled and need to be moved by tugboats or towboats. Barges on canals contended with the railways in the early industrial revolution but were outclassed when it came to carrying high-value items due to the higher speed, falling costs, and route flexibility of rail transport. A boat is a watercraft designed to float on, and provide transport over water.

WHAT'S THE GREEN GOLD PROJECT?

The Green Gold or Oro Verde project seeks to ensure the safety of miners and also protect them from exploitation. A jewellery shop in Chichester, England along with miners in a cooperative in Choco in North-East Colombia and the Fair Trade Foundation embarked on this project which promotes the purchase of green gold or jewellery which isn't created by putting labourers through hardships.

WHAT IS THE ANTARCTICA TREATY?

The Antarctica Treaty, signed in 1959, was a path-breaking agreement among countries of the world. There are certain regions located beyond the sovereign jurisdiction of any country of the world. Therefore, they require common governance by the international community These are known as 'res communis humanitatis' or Global Commons. It includes not only Antarctica but also the ocean floor and outer space. According to the treaty, Antarctica's environment and ecosystem will be protected. Since 1959, activities in the area have been limited to scientific research and development, fishing and tourism. Even these limited activities have not prevented this region from being degraded by waste, for example, oil spills. The expansion of the treaty was Antarctic Environmental Protocol of 1991.

WHAT IS A PAGODA?

A pagoda, in South-east Asia, is a cone-shaped monumental structure built in memory of the Buddha. But in the Far East, a pagoda is a tower-like, multi-storeyed structure of stone, brick, or wood, usually associated with a Buddhist temple complex. The pagoda is derived from the stupa of ancient India, which was a dome-shaped commemorative monument, usually erected over the remains or relics of a holy man or king.

WHY DOES FEBRUARY HAVE 28 DAYS, AND JULY AND AUGUST, 31 DAYS?

According to a popular legend, July was named after Julius Caesar and hence it had 31 days. Later, when Augustus Caesar took over the Roman Empire, he wanted August, the month named after him, to have 31 days as well. Hence, the two extra days were taken from February, which was then left with 28 days. However, some historians d.on't agree with this reasoning. They believe February always had 28 days ever since the time of King Numa Pompilius. He decided that a year would have 355 days, the length of 12 lunar cycles. Back then, even numbers were considered unlucky So, he created seven months with 29 days, and four with 31. Since he now needed one short even-numbered month, he chose February, as it was considered the least favourite month for it arrived during the middle of winter. And hence, it was given only 28 days.

WHAT IS RICE WINE?

Rice wine is made from fermenting freshly steamed glutinous rice. Most rice wines are low in alcohol content, light in colour, noncarbonated and have a sweet flavour. Rice wine is categorized according to the degree to which rice is polished. It does not usually improve with age and should be preferably consumed within one year of bottling.

WHY WAS THE NEW AMSTERDAM COLONY ESTABLISHED?

New Amsterdam was established by Dutch colonisers in 1624 in what is known today as New York city The town of New Amsterdam became a city in 1653 when it received municipal rights and was reincorporated as New York city in June 1665. The town was founded on the southern tip of Manhattan island as the most optimal place for permanent settlement by the Dutch West India Company and was strategically located on the south of the Hudson river. The location was best suited to defend the integrity of the New Netherlands province and was entrusted to safeguard the West India Company's exclusive access to New Netherlands' other two estuaries — the Delaware river and Connecticut river.

WHICH WAS THE FIRST WAR FOUGHT IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND?

If we define war as a large-scale violent conflict between two states employing the military, the earliest recorded wars might have taken place between various city states in the Mesopotamian region during the period 3,000-2,300 BC in the Bronze Age. The first recorded evidence of such a war was the one between the two city states Lagash and Umma, estimated to have taken place in 2525 BC. From the stone slabs bearing inscriptions related to the war, it could be inferred that the war employed professional soldiers wearing helmets who moved on chariots. The weapons employed were maces and swords.

WHERE DOES SANTA CLAUS LIVE?

The original Santa Claus lived nowhere near the North Pole. If the 4th century bishop known as Saint Nicholas of Myra — the inspiration for Santa Claus — existed at all, he lived in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey Santa Claus is a corruption of the Dutch name Sinte Klaas for St Nicholas, the patron saint of children and unmarried girls. Tradition says he gave bags of gold to three daughters from a noble, but poor family as their dowries, thus saving them from a life of prostitution. As the legends developed in the Netherlands, the three bags of gold were replaced by a bulging sack of presents which Santa Claus distributed to children on December 6, St Nicholas' feast day Later, this custom caught on to other parts of the world, to give gifts to good people and punish the bad.

WHAT IS THE SEEHECK EFFECT?

The principle of the thermocouple was first described by Seebeck in 1821. Seebeck discovered that when wires of two dissimilar metals were joined together to form a circuit of at least two junctions, a current would flow when the junctions were at different temperatures. This phenomenon, called the Seebeck Effect, is the basis upon which thermocouples are designed.

WHAT IS FOUR-DIMENSIONAL CINEMA?

What we normally see today in theatres are two-dimensional movies with multi-channel sound. In three-dimensional movies, viewers are required to wear special glasses which create 3-D images of objects in the movie. Chhota Chetan and Shiva Ka Insaaf were such movies released two decades ago. Fourth dimension in a movie creates an overall different experience. In addition to the effects of 3-D features, viewers can experience the movies through other senses like sight, sound, odour, touch and also have personal remote control. Viewers are seated in special seats which have bass shockers and other special fittings which make them a part of the complete 4-D experience.

WHAT IS BOW SHOCK?

In aerodynamics, bow shock is a normal shock that occurs in front of an object within a supersonic flow. Unlike an oblique shock, the bow shock is not attached to the tip, off the object in the flow. Oblique shock angles are limited in formation based on the corner angle and upstream Mach number. When these limitations are exceeded, a bow shock occurs instead of an oblique shock. Therefore, bow shocks are often seen forming around blunt objects. In astrophysics, bow shock is a boundary between a magnetosphere and an ambient medium. For stars, this is typically the boundary between their stellar wind and the interstellar medium. In a planetary magnetosphere, the bow shock is the boundary at which the solar wind abruptly drops because of its approach to the magnetopause.

WHAT IS ASSUMPTION DAY?

Assumption Day is, according to the Roman Catholic church, the day on which the Blessed Virgin Mary was, along with her body and soul, accepted (or 'assumed') in heaven. It is usually celebrated on August 15 by Roman Catholics. In some parts of the world, Assumption Day is a public holiday; in some parts it is a day of solemnity and prayers, whereas in some other parts, it is a day of feasting and festivities. Although in the early days of Christianity some held that it was not certain how the Virgin Mary's life ended, from the 5th century AD onwards, Christians believed that the Virgin Mary did not actually suffer a physical death and that she passed into heaven with her physical body and soul on Assumption Day The above day was officially recognised through a Dogma by the Church only in 1950. The Assumption has also been a subject of Christian art for several centuries.

WHAT IS HEIRLOOM GARDENING?

An heirloom plant, heirloom variety, or (especially in the UK) heirloom vegetable is an open-pollinated cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but not used in modern large-scale agriculture. Since most popular heirloom plants are vegetables, the term heirloom vegetable is often used instead. The trend of growing heirloom plants in gardens has been growing in popularity in the United States and Europe over the last decade. This is called heirloom gardening. Some examples are heirloom tomato, forbidden rice and Bhutanese red rice.

WHAT IS DIES IRAE?

Dies Irae literally means day of wrath. The mediaeval Christians were preoccupied with the end of the world; they anticipated the Last Judgement, followed by the millennium. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the West there was a revival of the belief in the end of time. The year 1000 likewise excited mythological speculation, as did famines, plagues, and earthquakes. Most influential were the views of the visionary Joachim of Fiore. He divided history into several ages and said that 1260 would be the fulfilment of the Age of the Spirit, which had begun with St Benedict. At that time, mankind could expect a new revelation, the coming of the anti-Christ, and the last days of wrath. This myth, written down at the behest of the Papacy, exerted a potent influence on mediaeval thought, and in its vision of a future world where the Holy Roman Empire and the Church of Rome would give place to a free community of perfected beings who have no need of clergy or sacraments or scripture, it anticipated modern millennial theories.

HOW MANY COUNTRIES DOES THE DNIEPER FLOW THROUGH?

Russia, Belarus and Ukraine are the three countries through which Europe's third-longest river flows. It originates in the south-west of Moscow and flows through Smolensk (Russia), Mogilev (Belarus), Kiev (capital of Ukraine), Dnepropetrovsk and Kherson (Ukraine) and empties into the Black Sea.

WHAT IS ANTHROPOCENE EPOCH?

The current geological epoch we live in is called Holocene, which began around 9600 BC. However, considering the way humans have altered the course of the Earth scientists suggest that the epoch be renamed anthropocene. Nobel-prize winning chemist Paul Crutzen coined this term in a casual remark in 2002, while talking about how the Earth was entering a new epoch due to increasing human population and economic activity However, other scientists want this word to refer to the human impact upon the planet.

WHAT IS ANTI-DUMPING DUTY?

If any company exports a product at a price lower than what it normally charges in its home market, then it is dumping the product. Opinions differ as to whether or not this is unfair competition, but many countries take action against dumping by imposing anti-dumping duty Thus, anti-dumping duty is an extra import duty on a particular product from a particular country in order to bring its prices closer to the normal value of that product in the country it is imported to. It is done to protect its own industry from predatory pricing. The World Trade Organisation does not prohibit antidumping policies and allows any country to take anti-dumping action against the countries which violate the principles of General Agreement on Trade and Tariff.

WHAT IS A CASCADE EFFECT?

An unforseen chain of events due to an act affecting a system, much like how a waterfall cascades down, is called cascade effect. Cascade effects are commonly visualised in tree structures called event trees.

WHAT IS LAPIS LAZULI?

Lapis Lazuli is an intense blue semiprecious stone. It has been mined for 6,500 years in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. It has lazurite as the main component. It's used in jewellery, mosaics, architecture and as a pigment called ultramarine in tempera paintings. It was used by Assyrians and Babylonians for seals, as an eyeshadow by Cleopatra and Romans believed it to be an aphrodisiac. It was thought to keep limbs healthy and free the soul from error, envy and fear.

WHAT ARE MAGIC BULLETS IN PHARMACEUTICAL TERMS?

In pharmaceutical terms, magic bullets are those drugs which attack the affected organ/cells and not the healthy ones. For example, the medicine for blood cancer I — called Glivec — is known to be a magic bullet as it attacks only those cells which are affected by the disease and not the healthy or surrounding cells.

WHAT IS THE 'ART OF MOVING'?

'The art of moving' or Parkour involves moving from one point to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. It entails overcoming obstacles using the power of the human body and is practised in several urban areas the world over. Recently, members of the Du Yize Parkour Club of Beijing showed their prowess at the Forbidden City

WHAT ARE POLAR COORDINATES?

It is a system of coordinates in Geometry whereby the position of a point, say P, in a plane can be determined with reference to a fixed point called origin, denoted by 0, and a predetermined direction represented by a ray OA. The measure of length OP, denoted by r, and the measure of the angle that OP makes with OA, generally denoted by a Greek letter theta, are called polar coordinates of P and, P is called the graph of r and theta. One pair of values of r and theta corresponds to only one point in the plane and one point in the plane corresponds to only one pair of the values of r and theta.

WHAT ARE SLATS?

These are thin narrow flat strips made of wood or metal, which are used as an auxiliary air foil at the leading edge of the wing of an aeroplane.

WHEN AND WHERE DID JALLIKATTU ORIGINATE?

Jallikattu, which is bull-baiting or bull fighting, is an ancient Tamilian tradition. There are several rock paintings, more than 3,500 years old, at remote Karikkiyur village in the Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu that show men chasing bulls. Another single painting discovered in a cave at Kalluthu Mettupatti, about 35 km west of Madurai, between Madurai and Dindigul, shows a lone man trying to control a bull, Researchers estimate that this painting, done in white kaolin, is about 1,500 years old.

WHAT'S THE ORIGIN OF THE TERM 'TOP DOG'?

'Top dog' means one who is dominant or victorious. When wooden planks were sawn by hand, two men did the job using a two-handed saw. The senior man took the top handle, standing on the wood, and the junior took the bottom, in the saw-pit below. The irons that were used to hold the wood were called dogs and that the bottom position was much more uncomfortable. The term 'top dog' originated from this practice.

WHICH IS THE FIRST ART GALLERY?

The term art gallery refers to two different kinds of places: 1. A place which exhibits items of art (an art museum), and 2. A place which sells art items. The oldest art museum is supposed to be housed in the Cosquer Caves, the under-water caves, near Marseilles. The caves consist of finger tracings, impressions of painted hands, and painted and engraved figures of animals. The oldest works in these caves were estimated to have been created 29,000 years ago. Art galleries that exhibit and sell works of art on a large scale have been in existence since the 17th century AD. Most of the oldest art auction houses that exist today in Europe have been founded in the first half of the 18th century Viennabased auction house Dorothium, which claims to be the oldest art auction house of the world, was founded in 1707, and Sothebys, the oldest and largest art auction house of England, was founded in 1744.

WHAT ARE TEXTONYMS?

They refer to the new language developed by cellphone-addicted teenagers, based on predictive text on their handsets. They are also known as adaptonyms or cellodromes. Using predictive text, the first alternative to certain keywords are used in textonyms.

WHAT ARE BANKURA HORSES?

The vibrant tradition of folk art in West Bengal's Bankura district includes a variety of clay handicrafts. The district's most famous product is the Bankura Horse, a very stylised figure with a long neck and elongated ears, in warm terracotta colours. Artisans have used the same techniques of hollow clay moulding and firing for generations. Sizes vary from minute, palm-sized to gigantic creations over 1 metre high. The horses are votive figures and are usually kept or placed in front of local deities.

WHO WAS THE FIRST INDIAN TO BE KNIGHTED?

Queen Victoria founded The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India in 1861, which was an order of chivalry, meant to be given to viceroys of India, nawabs and princes for their meritorious service and loyalty to the British empire. The people admitted to this order were called knights. In the year of its founding, Nawab Sikandar Begum Sahiba, Nawab Begum of Bhopal was made the Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India (GCSI). La

Auto Police Auctions

Anthony Fontanelle asked:




There’s no denying that the vehicles most researched by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) purchasers are those produced by gay-friendly automakers.

With more income and fewer kids than the average car buyer, GLBT turns to smaller, fun-to-drive, sporty cars. Joe LaMuraglia, Gaywheels founder, has this to say: "There are many stereotypes about what we as a community drive, [but] we are as diverse as the rest of the population."

That said, LaMuraglia noted, "The vehicles that the Gaywheels.com user is researching [are] markedly different than that of other automotive research websites, while still reflecting the diverse interests in our community."

“To wit, the ten most researched vehicles are for the most part small and relatively affordable. All ten are from makers considered friendly to the GLBT community,” said Bill Howard and Errol Pierre-Louis of Technoride.

Gaywheels.com, the sole source of information specifically targeted to and about GLBT car-shoppers, recently announced its list of the Top Ten Most-Researched Vehicles during the second quarter of 2007. For the fourth straight quarter, the entry-level Toyota Yaris maintained the top position, while for the first time ever, a Nissan product, the Infiniti-branded FX sport-utility vehicle, joined the list, the Web site said.

In releasing a list of its Top Ten researched vehicles, Gaywheels.com said that the ten in the most demand are the Toyota Yaris, Saab 9-3, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Eos, Dodge Caliber, Toyota Camry, Audi A3, Volkswagen Rabbit and the Infiniti FX.

The Yaris is a model name used by the Toyota Motor Corp on the export version of two different models: the Vitz hatchback, sold as the Yaris in Europe, South America, Australia, and North America; and the Belta sedan, sold in North America, South America and Australia.

Additionally, the Vitz and the Belta share underpinnings with each other. However, while the Vitz was designed at Toyota's European design studios, the Belta was created at Toyota's Japanese design studios. The two diverse design projects for similar cars marketed toward varied demographics.

The Yaris replaced the Saturn Sky roadster as the most researched vehicle. Meanwhile, the Infiniti FX was a new addition replacing the Pontiac G6.

The Sky roadster from the Saturn marque of the General Motors Corp. was released in the first quarter of 2006. It utilizes the Kappa automobile platform shared with the Pontiac Solstice. The Sky features a Saturn turbo, 18-inch wheels and a 2.4 L Ecotec LE5 I4 engine that generates 177 horsepower as well as an all-new I-4 2.0L direct injected turbocharged engine that makes 260 horsepower. The roadster also features manual and automatic transmissions with five gears.

Gaywheels.com classifies vehicle manufacturers as gay-friendly or not based on their corporate policies for offering domestic-partner benefits to their employees in the United States. The company has been keeping tabs on gay-friendly vehicles on a quarterly basis for the past 1.5 years. The latest findings were taken for the quarter ending June 30.

"Since the inception of this list, the Top Ten Most-Researched Vehicles have always come solely from gay-friendly automakers, delineating the importance of a brand's corporate policies and positions in regard to the *** community," said LaMuraglia.

The Gaywheels Top Ten Most-Researched Vehicles is derived from the Web site’s server logs and sheds light on what new vehicles are most popular with our users. We publish the list quarterly, the company said.

What is with the gay-friendly factor? Research on the GLBT consumer showed that majority of auto shoppers want to spend their money with companies that have progressive policies towards GLBT employees. The only problem is, that information is not easy to find, until now, the Web site noted.



US Gov't Auto Auctions

J. Snyder asked:




About three years ago I moved back up to Michigan and to a much colder winter. Brrr, it can get mighty cold when December rolls around. Prior to this I was riding my Fatboy year around and I did not need a motorcycle battery tender like I do now. Well I suppose if you only ride your bike once every couple of weeks you would want to have one to connect to just so you could add a trickle charge to your battery. But then I rode mine just about daily and still would if the ice and cold would go away.

I have never been the sharpest tool in the shed so I just jumped on the bike and rode over the the Harley Dealer to see what I needed. They had this small battery tender, trickle charger so I bought it after all it did say Harley Davidson on it. I probably knew better but then I am a Harley nut. It works just fine but since HD stands for "hundred dollars" I paid more than I had to for it. I should have done a little bit more research on the subject.

Moving back to Michigan also gave me a much smaller yard to cut so I had been using a walking mower. You know the drill get the grass cut and my exercise at the same time. That left my riding lawnmower siting all summer so that when it was time to pick up the leaves with it (raking is out of the question) the battery was not only dead it was also shot. I already told you I am not the sharpest tool, I should have put a battery tender on it and I would have added a lot of life to the battery. So this time I decided to do some searching for the trickle charger that I needed. Yes it does pay to have more than one battery tender in the house or garage depending where you store that motorcycle during the winter.

Once I started doing my research online I found that the motorcycle Battery Tender that I had bought previously was just a tad over priced mainly because of the name that was painted on it. I found one site that was loaded with a ton of different systems that would do the trick and keep my numerous batteries up to snuff. I say numerous but really only three, the Fatboy (the most important) the deep cell marine battery for the electric trolling motor (the second in importance) and the lawn tractor (takes a distant third) but they all need to have a trickle charge.

I even found one unit that would do all three at the same time. How is that for convenience! All in all, it is much less expensive to buy a decent motorcycle battery tender to trickle charge your batteries than it is to go out and buy new batteries every couple of years. A trickle charge will keep the battery hot so when you decide to ride you can.



Cars 90% off through Government Listings in your Town.

Matthew C. Keegan asked:




The minivan market is a crowded segment of the automotive industry, led by stalwarts Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, but also joined by Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. It is a tough market, one that General Motors and Ford have left, but also occupied by smaller, but still important players including the Kia Sedona.

For the Kia Sedona, one of the newer players in minivan market, this vehicle has received a lot of positive press lately thanks to several awards given over the past few years.

Most recently, the Sedona received a "Good" rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS); a five-star crash safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); and just recently was named as a Consumers Digest "Best Buy" a recognition for the second consecutive year.

"It is an honor to have Sedona recognized yet again," said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "Being named a 'Best Buy' by Consumers Digest goes to the heart of Kia Motors' commitment to offering consumers value-minded and comfortable vehicles with outstanding safety features."

Introduced in 1999, the Sedona is marketed almost everywhere as the Carnival, but in the United States and Great Britain the Sedona name prevails. While some markets offer a 2.7L V6 gas engine or a 2.9L V6 diesel, the U.S. Sedona comes with a 3.8L V6 and is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. Sister automaker Hyundai sells a version of the Sedona which they call the Entourage.

The second generation Sedona, which is now on the market, offers both Long and Short Wheel Bases; stock safety features such as six standard airbags (dual advanced front and front seat-mounted side air bags, and full-length side curtain air bags for all three seating rows); a four-channel, four-sensor, antilock brake system (ABS); electronic brake distribution (EBD); a traction control system (TCS); a brake assist system (BAS); and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

But, when compared to minivans from Toyota, Honda, and Chrysler, just how does the Sedona shape up? Clearly, the quality leaders are the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey while the Sedona is behind both the Dodge and Chrysler minivans in overall quality.  Check Consumer Reports and other non-biased consumer and car publications to compare price, initial quality, and long term customer satisfaction.



Quality Repossessed Car Auctions. Get Stellar Deals 60-90% off.

Anthony Fontanelle asked:




There are many parts in a vehicle that account for the rotation of the wheels – the steering wheel, the shifting gears, and the axle assembly. The car's axle assembly is a combination of an axle shaft, CV-joint (constant velocity) and sometimes a U-joint. It's main function is to transfer the rotational force coming from the transmission to the wheels. Thus, with its function, it is normally found on front and 4-wheel drive vehicles, trucks, and high-end rear-wheel drive European cars. This ensures that the high performance of the engine is transmitted to wheels in a manner that it is still at its full potential, but within the control of the driver.

Because of this, Saturn Corporation, one of the makes of General Motors, pays extra attention in the production of their Saturn Axle Assembly. They commit to giving only comfort to their customers, and comfort is what they give. They just don't put comfort on the seats but on the whole of the ride as well, and so they make their Saturn Axle Assembly with much effort. This way, shifting gears won't be much of a hassle anymore.

As what's mentioned before, axle assembly is found in 4-wheel drives and sports utility vehicles like the Saturn models. Putting that in mind, anyone could come to the conclusion that Saturn Axle Assembly is always faced with much stress on the road. With the difficult terrain and off-roads that these SUVs usually travel in, the Saturn Axle Assembly becomes real prone to damage. The bumps and potholes found on the road can really cause harm to the drivetrain, specifically its component parts. The axle shaft can give stress to the CV-joint or even a U-joint if not handled properly. The transfer of the gear should be seamless and so the parts must be meticulously greased and be kept safe from dirts outside.

Therefore the drivetrain should always be working at its best. The rubber gasket or the boot, which protects a CV-joint from dirt should always be checked for cracks or leaks. These dirts could contaminate the whole Saturn Axle Assembly and can cause damage for the joints. This contamination could be the worst damage they could get as repairing it won't help, and even flushing these contaminants may even worsen the problem.

So it is just anyone's bet is, that the only preventive measure drivers could do is to drive their cars carefully especially when in rough roads. Also, have a routine checkup. However, if worse comes to worst and a driver would need to replace his Saturn Axle Assembly, then they just need to go to their trusted auto parts store that has OEM quality parts for the axle assembly.



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Anthony Fontanelle asked:




The cold air intake of a Saturn is like a fresh set of lungs for the car’s engine. It effectively mixes the fuel with the cold air from outside the engine compartment. With more cold air, more oxygen is made available for fuel combustion, resulting in the increase on engine power production. Letting the car breathe in denser oxygen enables it to hypercharge its internal combustion engine through the burning of burn conducive air component of the fuel mixture. Hence, the significant improvement in combustion performance equates to greater engine power.

Installing a cold air intake system on a Saturn is likewise set to improve the car’s upper power band with only a minuscule reduction of the power in the lower rev range with power gains in the 0-15 HP (horsepower) range. This process of increasing power and performance is made possible without increasing fuel consumption. Fuel efficiency is a natural by-product of the Saturn cold air intake, while also maximizing the engine’s output at the same time. Cold air intakes have become a widespread add-on on a wide variety of Saturn makes because they are affordable, easy to install, enhance the car’s appearance and improve engine sound significantly.

The Saturn cold air intakes boast of a better high-rev performance than what stock air filters can give to the car. Due to its ideal position in the Saturn engine compartment, cold air intakes get more access to colder air, unlike other intakes which just let the air stay in the engine which oftentimes heat up the air because of the engine's high temperature. Every Saturn cold air intake system is additionally loaded with a slew of extra features: they can be used in all 50 states, has a lifetime DRYFLOW synthetic air filter, comes with a limited lifetime warranty, and best of all it does not invalidate the vehicle’s factory-issued warranty.



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Shakti Carola Navran asked:




There is so much going on in the skies, pointing us into the direction of a deeper understanding of where we are in our life, helping to gain more clarity and a higher level of consciousness.



Solar Eclipses Speak to our Soul!

With the Solar Eclipse right in front of our eyes, we do know something auspicious is going on and we might feel touched by the magnificence of the universe and its mysterious ways of working. I live on Maui and when I look up at the night sky I can actually see the stars. I love doing that! I also have a good friend who loves to travel with her husband to Solar Eclipses around the world; he actually proposed to her on one of their first trips! So what is going on with Solar Eclipses? Why is it obviously touching our soul and spirit? What is actually happening when a Solar Eclipse happens?



Total Solar Eclipse

When the Sun is covered up by the Moon we will experience total darkness! I remember watching my first Solar Eclipse as a small child and feeling pretty unsettled by the darkness in the middle of the day. I am sure Solar Eclipses have been watched with dread throughout the ages. After all the Sun was perceived as the bringer of light and life on our planet earth and was known in its significance and its impact onto our lives here.

The light of the Sun as source of our consciousness being gone would have been taken as a bad omen. But then how wonderful when the Sun reemerges, distributing the life giving force! And with it a new cycle of understanding and expansion of consciousness and life!

Today we know all about the reasons for eclipses happening and we know exactly where and when we will be able to see it. Still it has not taken away much from the mystery of it and the sense of something significant happening.



A Lunar and a Solar Eclipse in Opposing Signs this Month

Eclipses are very potent Full and New Moons! They are said to bring the shadow side of the opposing and the sign it is in to the foreground of our consciousness. With the Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn on July 7th and the Solar Eclipse in Cancer on July 21/22 we will for sure have a chance to look deeper into that shadow but into the wonderful possibilities of integration as well.

We could say that this ax of Cancer and Capricorn could expose immaturity, denial, martyrdom and self-indulgence for Cancer or dominance, control, giving away our power to authority out there and not taking on responsibility for our own life for Capricorn.

Cancer is seen as the most feminine water sign symbolizing the divine mother, live giving and life affirming. Capricorn is seen as the fatherly guiding principle of authority. We are living in a time where prejudice based on *** or skin color is loosing its dominance, and what an exciting time it is to live in!



Balancing the Male and the Female in Us

We all have a male and a feminine side in us! In astrology the Sun and Mars is symbolizing the inner man and Moon and Venus the inner woman. When we have a solar eclipse the Moon is merging with the Sun, the male with the feminine and for a moment there is oneness and balance of the two. This can inspire us to strive for that balance in our own life more consciously and successfully.

The Aquarian Age

In the bigger picture we are moving into the Aquarian Age, a 26, 000-year cycle which introduces an era of equality and collaboration instead of the ego driven old paradigm of the survival of the fittest. We are on the cusp of tremendous changes in our state of consciousness and how we perceive ourselves in the world. The year 2012 seems to be a turning point and spiritual doorway into a changed perception of unity and oneness consciousness. The Mayan calendar is ending in 2012 and with it there is the potential for a paradigm shift into something truly new.



New Moon

The New Moon always is a time of new beginnings by cleaning the plate of the old and outlived. It is a time to reorient and check in with our deepest soul intentions. We also have two New Moons in Cancer this year, one was in the beginning of Cancer, at the end of June and one is at the very end of the sign in July. Also this New Moon has a quincunx to Pluto; the agent of transformation, death and rebirth.



What Does it Really Mean for You?

Wherever the New Moon is falling into your chart that is an area in your life you want to pay attention to!

Which house is it in? For example if it is in the second house, which is representing our finances and property, the material world we live in; you might want to be aware of how you nourish yourself in a very concrete way. What are your plans for later in life when you retire? Do you spend more money then you earn? Are you dealing with your credit card debt? Are you taking charge of your financial status? Or do you blame the economical situation and the government and victimize yourself? If you blame somebody else you don’t perceive yourself as able to change anything; therefore blame is always disempowering!

How many people have thrived in times of economical downturns? Are you looking at the glass half empty or half full? Do you take responsibility for your life or not? Are you aware that wherever you are in your life is the result of the thoughts, beliefs, values, habits and actions of your past? If you truly understand and accept that, you have the key for changing your future!



Second Jupiter Conjunction with Chiron is still close to Neptune

Within twelve hours of the eclipse Jupiter is having its second close encounter with Chiron. The third and last one will be on December 7th.

I have commented on the powerful ********* before and how their energy carries great potential and explosive expansion for growth. You might want to read more

Because Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron are very slow moving celestial bodies we will have some time to integrate these principles and make it work for us. Between March 2009 and February 2010 these three planets will remain within 10 degrees of each other.

Venus Squaring Saturn

Six hours before the Solar Eclipse Venus will have an exact square with Saturn. As the second feminine archetype in action, Venus is encouraging new ways to relate between the sexes for the men from Mars and the women from Venus. Saturn stirs us up when in contact with personal planets and as a result of that brings light into old rigid structures, therefore laying the ground for change.



Resume

This is a good time we are living in! All the inner desires of humankind for survival, safety, equality, freedom and love are culminating in the potentiality of the present time. Astrology as a tool to interpret time quality versus time quantity is of great help to recognize the quality of the seed of every given moment and what might evolve out of it.

If we know this specific seed is creating a tomato plant, we will treat it as such with just the right amount of water, nutrients, shade and sun to help it grow. The same applies to the potential of any given moment and starting point of anything new. If we know the time quality described by astrology we will be able to help it along into its highest expression.

And your personal expansion into a higher level of consciousness is influencing everybody around you and is contributing to the collective consciousness. But it is also helping you tremendously in your personal alignment with the universal forces, which deepens your sense of balance and joy in the moment! Your conscious alignment with the universal forces in that present moment is all you can do. Remember life is a process and a mystery to be lived and not a problem to be solved!

If you enjoyed my ramblings about life and astrology, you can visit me at my Astrological Signs Weather Report & Healing Gems Blog where I discuss the actual universal, astrological forces and inspire you to use them wisely for a successful and joyful life. Healing gemstones are suggested as tools to balance and come into alignment with the cosmic flow and of course can be used to create custom designed soul jewelry as well.

Aloha and many blessings, Shakti.

Shakti Carola Navran: astrologer, jeweler and author



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Lauren Woods asked:




General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 375,682 autos in May and that amount is up by 4.7 percent as compared with the year-ago monthly sales. The figures were announced by the largest American automaker on the first day of June.

On an unadjusted basis, sales increased by 8.8 percent. GM's May retail sales of 279,731 were up 8.5 percent. On an unadjusted basis, retail sales were up 12.8 percent as compared with a year ago.

May sales mirrored the strength of the automaker’s new product portfolio. Increased sales of the Chevrolet Impala, Saturn Aura, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Buick Enclave demonstrated GM's strong positioning in the auto industry for fuel-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. The Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra, both full-size pickup trucks of the Detroit automaker, are deemed fuel-efficiency leaders in their class. The pickups pushed GM's large pickup segment sales up ten percent in total and 14 percent retail compared with May 2006.

GM divisions with retail sales increased in May include Saturn, up 59 percent; GMC, up 18 percent; and Pontiac up eight percent. Also, Chevrolet was again the sales leader in the industry with a five percent increase.

In May, GM North America produced 401,000 vehicles. This is down by 25,000 units or six percent as compared to May 2006 when the region produced 425,000 vehicles. The region's 2007 second-quarter production forecast is unaffected at 1.145 million vehicles. Additionally, the region's initial 2007 third-quarter production forecast is set at 1.075 million, up two percent from third-quarter 2006 figures.

Like the wintry breeze from the Neuspeed cold air intake, the automaker frostily revised its 2007 second-quarter and initial 2007 third-quarter production forecast for its international regions. GM Europe’s 2007 second-quarter production forecast is revised at 468,000 vehicles, down 5,000 units from last month's guidance. The region's initial 2007 third-quarter production forecast is set at 389,000 vehicles. GM Asia Pacific, meanwhile, second-quarter production forecast for this year remains unchanged at 568,000 vehicles. The region's initial 2007 third-quarter production forecast is set at 524,000 vehicles. Additionally, GM Latin America, Africa and the Middle East forecast is unchanged at 233,000 vehicles. The region's initial 2007 third-quarter production forecast is set at 258,000 vehicles.

"Our May results were extremely positive as we saw strong total and retail sales increases. Our significant market share gains in full-size trucks and crossovers validates the decision we made to invest in industry-leading fuel economy in these important segments," said Mark LaNeve, the vice president for GM North American Sales, Service and Marketing.

"We are particularly pleased with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, which pushed our full-size truck sales up more than ten percent for the month. As with many of our vehicles, these great all-new trucks offer what the customer is looking for - best-in-class fuel economy, terrific performance and tremendous value. And our newest entry to the crossover segment, the Buick Enclave, is performing ahead of our expectations. Dealers are selling them as soon as they arrive from the plant. Our mid-size crossover segment performance, including the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook, continues to grow at a blistering pace."

The Saturn brand of the automaker also made a dramatic change with its product renaissance. The said rebirth has tremendously accelerated increased total sales to almost 69 percent compared with a year ago. Saturn’s sales are bolstered by the warm public acceptance of its new lineup which includes the Aura and Aura Hybrid, Sky, Outlook, Vue and the Vue Hybrid. Part of the renaissance campaign is the introduction of the Astra as the replacement of the Ion small car. For this year, Saturn brand is said to be the fastest growing brand.



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Joe Thompson asked:




It is time to experience the kick of contrasts and extremes in the automotive world because automakers are setting forth their idiosyncratic 2007 vehicle lineups. The latest vehicle models from Acura to Volvo will wipe out the customary trend of homogeny in rivalry. This time around, automakers are showing off contrasts and extremes.

To boot, 2007 model vehicles include efficient, full-size pickup trucks from GMC, Chevrolet, and Toyota. Fuel-saving small cars from Honda, Toyota, Chevy and Nissan create a great demand in the market. Ford, Lincoln, Acura, Jeep, Mazda and Saturn are also benefiting from their sales in crossover sport utility vehicles. Said crossovers are manufactured to achieve gentle, powerful and fuel-efficient ride. Large trucks will not be tolerable to be left behind. Hence automakers like Cadillac, Audi, Ford, GMC, Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz made their large trucks lineup outstanding.

Wide-range of vehicle lineup will soon be presented to astound auto crowd. Acura parts were upgraded to come up with RSX, the smallest car of the automaker with a starting price lower than $21,000. Acura also boasts its smaller version of SUV 2007 RDX as well as its mid-size sedan.

Chrysler has revamped its lineup. The automaker has added modern headlamps, hood strakes and a shorter rear end. Chrysler will also introduce its very first large SUV which is based on the Dodge Durango.

Revolutionary Hummer parts were further boosted via a brand new 3.7-liter, 5-cylinder engine. KIA Motors has restyled its Sorento and added extra horsepower to it by incorporating the V-6 engine.

Saturn, on one hand, is busy working with a mid-size sedan called Aura and a its first convertible called Sky, which is based on Pontiac Solstice. Suzuki is about to unravel its hot hatchback - Aerio SX4, with a base price of $15,594. Finally, there's Volvo S80, a vehicle that gets a V-8 engine for extraordinarily superb power.



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Noah Scott asked:




The sweeping transformation is an important part of GM’s blueprint to build Cadillac into a truly global luxury brand that can compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW in terms of size and price. Aside from using top-of-the-line auto parts such as GM wheel and others, the automaker has set a concrete plan on how to further enhance the quality of the Cadillac.

The redesigned CTS sedan which is part of the new products will arrive this fall and will be presented as a 2008 model. It will be followed in 2009 by a new CTS coupe and wagon. These two products are aimed more for the European market but will be sold also in North America.

Basically the new CTS is the forerunner of Cadillac’s “next-generation” look which is subtle and less angular than the Art & Science theme pioneered by the original CTS. The styling inspiration of the CTS is derived from the Cadillac Sixteen concept which debuted four years ago at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

As part of the company’s move to a more global image, Cadillac also plans to continue its shift to rear-wheel drive. Such move includes the launching of two new high-end RWD sedans which are directed primarily for North America and a low-end RWD sedan that could replace the BLS compact in Europe.

By 2012, Cadillac will also offer a range of vehicles on four different RWD platforms beginning with a new compact architecture known as Alpha. An updated version of the Sigma platform highlights the ’08 CTS, while the next generation DTS luxury sedan and a new V12 flagship sedan known as the XLS will be built on the upcoming Zeta platform. The replacement for the XLR roadster will share the new C7 platform with the next generation Chevrolet Corvette.

Additional part of Cadillac’s plans is to add a new midrange crossover vehicle known internally as the BRX which is an off the premium version of the all-wheel drive Theta platform. This new platform is also referred to by suppliers in the code name TE.

The Cadillac’s plan would have some casualties such as the SRX and the STS which will be replaced by new and updated models. The new Alpha platform is said to be the masterpiece of GM product czar Bob Lutz which will be used as the base for a broad range of midsize rear-wheel-drive models for several GM brands which will include Holden, Cadillac, Opel, Saab, Pontiac, Vauxhall, and Chevrolet.

According to GM suppliers the Alpha will make use of bits and pieces from the Kappa platform that will serve as the base for both the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. It can be remembered that General Motors has provided a sneak preview of the Alpha at the Holden Torana Showcar in Australia. The current design for the Alpha includes a flexible platform that can accommodate both rear and all-wheel-drive as well as GM’s Ecotec four-cylinder engine family.

The top engine choice would possibly be a twin-cam 2.4 liter inline-4, with a supercharged version available for performance-oriented models. Also to be offered across the range is a six-speed manual and automatic transmission.

According to some reliable sources inside General Motors, Lutz would like to see the Alpha platform employed in place of the front-wheel-drive Epsilon II platform on a number of GM products and that would include the planned replacements for the Cadillac BLS and Pontiac G6. Likewise, Chevrolet may also get an Alpha-based successor to the Malibu sedan or a coupe companion named as the Chevelle. The range of Alpha models is expected to reach market by 2010 to 2011.



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