SAIC and Nanjing Auto move closer towards partnership
The News Review:
- SAIC and Nanjing Auto move closer towards partnership
- The great cannabis debate: 50 top experts confirm mental health risk
- Catalans Help Pay for Woody Allen ‘Love Letter’
- Japan’s Harley owners a family-friendly cult They’re stylish,…
- Bajaj, Renault confirm talks for small car
- … add zest to summertime meals; It’s easy to grow these…
SAIC and Nanjing Auto move closer towards partnership
EastDay.com – Jul 29, 2007
34 million vehicles, including
915,000 passenger cars and 429,000 commercial vehicles. NAC would be able to provide a variety of car models, including a total of
120 models for commercial vehicles out of its cooperation with the Italian auto
giant Fiat, for future research development, said Jia Xinguang, a senior auto
analyst. The two companies were also developing home-grown auto brands on the basis of
technologies from the same overseas company to produce competing car models. NAC outbid SAIC to acquire the bankrupt British carmaker MG Rover Group and
its engine producer, Power Train Ltd, for 53 million pounds in 2005, and it
unveiled its MG 7 series in March this year. SAIC bought from the MG Rover Group the technology for two Rover models —
the 25 and 75 — and their engines in 2004, and presented its Roewe 750, a Rover
75-based sedan in October last year. If the two reached the final agreement on the merger, there would emerge a
giant auto producer in China with annual sale of two million by 2010, analysts
said.
The great cannabis debate: 50 top experts confirm mental health risk
The Independent – Independent – Jul 29, 2007
Cannabis as Class C is exactly where it should be. “Skunk: the drug at the centre of the controversyCannabis is more potent than ever, with Britain producing increasing quantities of home-grown, hydroponic marijuana or skunk. This very strong, force-grown form of cannabis is known for its powerful smell – hence its name – and its enhanced effects on the mind of the user. It is often grown in nutrient-rich water under strong lights to produce far more tetrahydrocannabidinol (THC) – the mind-altering compound that gets users high – than regular cannabis, making it many times stronger than conventional “grass” or resin.
Catalans Help Pay for Woody Allen ‘Love Letter’
Washington Post – Jul 29, 2007
"The Barcelona Project" is a 50-50 co-production between Allen and Spanish company Mediapro, so is more thoroughly ‘Spanish’. Perez argues it is inaccurate to portray Allen’s project as a big Hollywood filmmaker cashing in on European subsidies intended to foster home-grown talent. The lead characters are played by Spain’s top movie stars, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. They first appeared together in 1992 in the steamy "Jamon, Jamon". Although the film’s storyline is secret it is believed to be a love triangle — with Cruz and Johansson vying for the same man. Jaume Roures, executive producer with co-producer Mediapro, says the controversy stems from public misunderstanding that the money is a subsidy when it is actually a commercial investment.
Japan’s Harley owners a family-friendly cult They’re stylish,…
San Francisco Chronicle – Jul 29, 2007
At first glance, the extra large Harleys — quintessential emblems of American brawn and self-reliance — are an odd fit in Japan, where many roads are narrow and congested and there are already four giant companies — Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha — selling bikes. But the cultural disconnect may be even greater: Japan is also a society that values conformity, not the spontaneity and independence that Harleys represent. Yet Harleys are selling better than ever in Japan, despite sticker prices that can far exceed those of the home-grown alternatives. This nation of enthusiastic hobbyists appreciates craftsmanship, styling and the cachet of owning revered foreign brands, whether it’s a Gucci handbag, a bottle of 18-year old Glenmorangie Scotch or a machine with a Milwaukee pedigree. Like many of these imports in Japan, the locals have adopted and adapted Harleys in ways that American purists might find unorthodox — and perhaps comical. At odds with Harley’s muscle-bound reputation were things like the pink dog tags that visitors were given, or the Japanese country band that sang “Sweet Home Alabama” while a crew of Japanese Harley employees taught line dancing. Then there was the ladies beauty square, a big tent where women were given free manicures, foot massages and time with stylists to revive hairdos flattened by their helmets — not the sort of services one might expect at a gathering of the Harley faithful like Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Fla… This nation of enthusiastic hobbyists appreciates craftsmanship, styling and the cachet of owning revered foreign brands, whether it’s a Gucci handbag, a bottle of 18-year old Glenmorangie Scotch or a machine with a Milwaukee pedigree. Like many of these imports in Japan, the locals have adopted and adapted Harleys in ways that American purists might find unorthodox — and perhaps comical. At odds with Harley’s muscle-bound reputation were things like the pink dog tags that visitors were given, or the Japanese country band that sang “Sweet Home Alabama” while a crew of Japanese Harley employees taught line dancing. Then there was the ladies beauty square, a big tent where women were given free manicures, foot massages and time with stylists to revive hairdos flattened by their helmets — not the sort of services one might expect at a gathering of the Harley faithful like Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Fla. It was all part of the company’s attempt to make the bikes more family friendly, an effort echoed in the United States. Not wanting to scare off the curious, the organizers did not include Harley in the name of the event, instead calling it Blue Sky Heaven. Wise to the country’s mania for animation, Harley placed cartoon hogs — a nod to the nickname for its largest models — around the event.
Bajaj, Renault confirm talks for small car
Economic Times – Jul 29, 2007
If concluded
favourably, this could lead to a long-term partnership between Renault and Bajaj
Auto for the development of the business so conceived, said a joint statement
issued by both companies. This confirmation comes at the back of
reports published by ET on July 13 of ongoing mutual deliberations between both
companies to conceptualise and produce competitive vehicles, including a $3000
small car, in India. The companies have clarified that a positive
outcome of the talks between the two could lead to a long-term partnership
between Renault and Bajaj Auto for development of such a small car platform in
future. Bajaj Auto — which is backed by strong indigenous
R&D in two and three wheelers and is now foraying into the four-wheeler
segment — could work out to be a natural ally for Renault as its other
Indian partner Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) does not share the ultra-low-cost
product philosophy.
… add zest to summertime meals; It’s easy to grow these…
highbeam.com – Jul 29, 2007
Squash, eggplant, newpotatoes and peppers are in abundance, and the easiest way to cookthem is on the grill. Fresh produce prepared simply is one ofsummer’s many joys. Lightly brushed with olive oil and sprinkled withsalt, pepper and fresh herbs, tender home-grown vegetables cede theirnatural flavors after a few minutes over a hot fire. Best of all, forlazy cooks like me, there are no pots and pans to wash! One of my favorite flavors for summer cooking is lemon. The tangyacidic zing is not only refreshingly light, but it enhances naturalflavors. For those wishing to lower sodium intake, lemon-flavoredherbs add a piquancy that lessens the.