Month: February 2009

The Real Story Behind The Surge

Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno was an unlikely dissident, with little in his past to suggest that he would buck his superiors and push the U.S. military in radically new directions.

Communicating almost daily by phone with retired Gen. Jack Keane, an influential former Army vice chief of staff and his most important ally in Washington, Odierno launched a guerrilla campaign for a change in direction in Iraq, conducting his own strategic review and bypassing his superiors to talk through Keane to White House staff members and key figures in the military. It would prove one of the most audacious moves of the Iraq war, and one that eventually reversed almost every tenet of U.S. strategy

via The Dissenter Who Changed the War.

Man calls 911 after Burger King runs out of lemonade

BOYNTON BEACH — A man was charged with misusing 911 today for a midnight complaint that a Boynton Beach Burger King had run out of lemonade, police say.

Jean Fortune, 66, dialed 911 and told dispatchers he was “unhappy with his order” at the Burger King at 1521 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., according to an arrest report.

When a Boynton Beach police officer arrived, the cashier told him she had informed Fortune at the drive-thru that the store no longer served lemonade. He became angry when he picked up his order at the window and threatened to call police.

The cashier told him to “Go ahead.”

The officer noted in his report that Fortune could not explain why he resorted to calling 911 for a “civil dilemma.”

via Man calls 911 after Burger King runs out of lemonade.

$20 Laptop

The ambitous initiative will be under consideration at a National Mission on Education launch in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday. Pioneered in India by scientists at Indian scientific and technological institutes and a state-owned semi-conductor laboratory, the laptop has 2Gb Ram capacity and wireless connectivity.

R.P. Agrawal, secretary of secondary and higher education, told reporters last week that the cost of the laptop was about $20 a unit, but he expected that to fall. He also said he expected the units to be commercially available in six months.

via FT.com / India / Politics & Society – India to follow $2,000 car with $20 laptop.

The US Started And Now Has to Fix The Economic Mess

Decisions taken in the next few months will shape the world for a generation. If we get through this crisis without collapse, we will have the time and the chance to construct a better and more stable global order. If we do not, that opportunity may not recur for decades.

We are living on the cusp of history. The priority is to reverse the downward spiral of despair through overwhelming and concerted action. That will only occur if the US now gives the leadership we need. Mr Obama may even find, as many presidents have found before him, that leading the world is easier and more rewarding than cajoling a recalcitrant Congress. This may not be the challenge he expected. But it is the challenge he confronts. History will judge his presidency on whether he dares to succeed

via FT.com / Columnists / Martin Wolf – Why Davos Man is waiting for Obama to save him.

Folding dealers shock car buyers with unpaid liens

The national wave of auto dealership closures has come crashing down on thousands of people who are on the hook for used-car loans that dealers were supposed to absolve.

When a car buyer still owes money on a vehicle he is trading in, the dealer promises to pay off the outstanding loan, then resells the vehicle. But as more dealers go out of business, some are sticking consumers with the bill. Lenders can then go after the previous owner who thought the debt was paid, or repossess the car from the new owner who assumed it came with clear title.

via Folding dealers shock car buyers with unpaid liens – Yahoo! News.

Can Obama Turn China Green?

There are good reasons for cooperation, however. On the Chinese side, the Communist Party’s legitimacy lies largely in its ability to deliver economic growth and higher living standards to its people. Yet the World Bank estimates that the total cost of air and water pollution is already 5.8% of GDP, and unbreathable air certainly does not constitute a higher standard of living—as China’s population is fast realising. In 2005 alone, there were 51,000 pollution-related protests, roughly 140 each day.

And the U.S. needs a boost to its own international legitimacy. Co-operating with China on one of the most pressing issues of our time is an excellent opportunity to do so. If that’s not reason enough, a U.S.-China partnership on energy productivity is good business. Global demand for low-carbon energy could create a $500 billion annual market by 2050. Instituting policies that will encourage innovation now can ensure future competitiveness in an important industry

via Far Eastern Economic Review | Turning the East Green.