Hot Flat and Crowded- Friedman calls for Green Revolution

Thomas Friedman is about to dive into the green-tech fray. In his latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, the multi-Pulitzer-winning journalist says everyone needs to accept that oil will never be cheap again and that wasteful, polluting technologies cannot be tolerated. The last big innovation in energy production, he observes, was nuclear power half a century ago; since then the field has stagnated. "Do you know any industry in this country whose last major breakthrough was in 1955?" Friedman asks. According to the book, US pet food companies spent more on R&D last year than US utilities did. "The Stone Age didn't end because we ran out of stone," he says. Likewise, the climate-destroying fossil-fuel age will end only if we invent our way out of it.

But he's not suggesting a new Manhattan Project. "Twelve guys and gals going off to Los Alamos won't solve this problem," Friedman says. "We need 100,000 people in 100,000 garages trying 100,000 things — in the hope that five of them break through."

Our current efforts are not only inadequate, they're hopelessly haphazard and piecemeal. Friedman argues it'll take a coordinated, top-to-bottom approach, from the White House to corporations to consumers. "Without a systems approach, what do you end up with?" he asks. "Corn ethanol in Iowa."

The New York Times columnist, who keeps up a punishing travel schedule, is just back from the Middle East and London. "If you don't go, you don't know," he says. Such wanderings provided the material for his 2005 best seller, The World Is Flat. Now he has added two new terms to his diagnosis of global ills: the intertwined problems of climate change and population growth — "too many carbon copies," as he puts it.

In this new world, governments and companies that take the lead will find themselves with the single most valuable competitive advantage of our time.

To illustrate, Friedman tells the story of a Marine Corps general in Iraq who requested solar panels to power his bases. Asked why, he explained that he wanted to win his region by "out-greening al Qaeda." Instead of trucking in gas from Kuwait at $20 a gallon — money that fuels oppressive petro-dictatorships — in convoys that are vulnerable to roadside bombs, why not beat the insurgents by taking away their targets and their funding?

Coming out months before the presidential election, Crowded is sure to bigfoot its way into the campaign. "McCain and Obama come from the right side of this debate," Friedman says. "They have the right instincts, but neither is quite there yet. They haven't yet thought it through fully." The battle over "green," he believes, will define the early 21st century just as the battle over "red" (Communism) defined the last half of the 20th.

Ray Barbee - Poetry in Motion

This is one of my favorite skateboard clips of all time. This is from an old skate film called, Public Domain.

A Helping Hand for Surgery

Get a grip: The fingers of this metal-and-polymer gripping gadget curl around a tiny bead when the device senses a certain triggering chemical. The gripper could someday help doctors perform minimally invasive surgeries. Credit: Timothy Leong/JHU

A tiny handlike gripper that can grasp tissue or cell samples could make it easier for doctors to perform minimally invasive surgery, such as biopsies. The tiny device curls its "fingers" around an object when triggered chemically, and it can be moved around remotely with a magnet.

Minimally invasive, or "keyhole," surgery currently involves making several centimeter-size incisions and inserting surgical tools through hollow tubes placed in these incisions. Wires connect the tools to external controls that a surgeon uses to operate inside the body. This is less damaging than conventional surgery, but it limits a surgeon's ability to maneuver the instruments.

The new technology is a step toward surgical tools that move more freely inside the human body. "We want to make mobile surgical tools," says David Gracias, a biomolecular- and chemical-engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University, who led the development of the new gripper. "The ultimate goal is to have a machine that you can swallow, or [to] inject small structures that move and can do things [on their own]."

A gripper based on the current design could respond autonomously to chemical cues in the body. For example, it might react to the biochemicals released by infected tissue by closing around the tissue, so that pieces can be removed for analysis.

Gracias and his colleagues presented the microgripper at the American Chemical Society meeting earlier this month. To demonstrate the device, they used it to grasp and maneuver tiny beads and clumps of cells in a petri dish. They have also used the device in the laboratory to perform an in vitro biopsy on a cow's bladder. "This is the first micromachine that has been shown convincingly to do very useful things," Gracias says. "And it does not require electric power for operation."

he open gripper is 500 micrometers (0.05 centimeters) in diameter, and it is made of a film of copper and chromium covered with polymer. As long as the polymer stays rigid, the gripper remains open. But introducing a chemical trigger or lowering the temperature causes the polymer to soften, actuating the gripper's fingers so that they curl inward to form a ball that is 190 micrometers wide. Another chemical signal can be used to reopen the gripper. All of the chemicals used as triggers in experiments are harmless to the body.

Since the new technology does not need to be connected to controls outside the body, it could mean more dexterous microsurgery, says Chang-Jin Kim, a mechanical-engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. "You don't have to have a physical connection, and that is pretty attractive," he says.

Microgrippers could also be important for lab-on-a-chip applications--for example, moving samples around a chip or cleaning away debris. But Kim says that using chemical triggers from the environment makes the Johns Hopkins device tricky to control. "If the environment changes, your performance changes," he adds.

Kim and his colleagues previously developed a four-fingered "microhand" that opens and closes when gas pressure is changed inside tiny polymer balloons at the finger joints. The microhand offers more precise control but must be tethered to a control unit. Nonetheless, Kim says that his device could have a wider range of uses--as a tool for remotely removing detonators from explosives, for example.

The new technology, meanwhile, is designed exclusively for surgery. Gracias hopes to shrink the gripper further--to about 10 micrometers wide--and to enable it to move in response to different chemical concentrations, like a bacteria moving toward higher concentrations of sugars.

Under the hood of the Tesla Roadster

Multimedia Watch the Roadster in action.

With its first prototype, the Roadster, introduced in 2006, Tesla Motors ignited interest in electric cars not only as a way to save gas but as a high-performance alternative to some of the fastest sports cars. This year, Tesla started delivering production ­vehicles, based on the test car shown here. The car sells for $109,000--but costs only a couple of cents per mile to power.

1 . Electric Motor
Most electric cars have used direct-current electric motors that rely on permanent magnets. The motor in Tesla's Roadster doesn't have any magnets; instead, it uses stacks of patterned metal plates and wires that generate electromagnetic fields. Such motors, called alternating-current induction motors, were first advocated in the late 19th century by Nikola Tesla, for whom the company is named. The company picked AC induction motors because they're simple, reliable, and efficient at a wide range of speeds.

2. Transmission
The first version of the Roadster featured a two-speed transmission, the first gear for quick starts (0 to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds) and the second gear for top speeds (over 120 miles per hour). But problems with that transmission delayed production. Thanks to a redesigned motor and higher-performance transistors that deliver more power, it has been replaced by a single-speed transmission.

3. Power Electronics Module
The motor does two things: it converts electricity from the battery into torque for acceleration, and it helps slow the car during braking, converting some of the car's kinetic energy into electricity that's stored in the battery. A computer chip called the digital motor controller regulates the shuttling of power between the motor and battery. It can deliver acceleration so fast it hurts: Tesla's engineers had to dial back the power to achieve a smoother start.

4. Battery Pack
Tesla's engineers have wired together 6,831 small, cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells to deliver the power that accounts for the car's impressive acceleration and the energy storage that enables a driving range of more than 200 miles. Lithium-ion cells store far more energy than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in previous gas-­electric hybrids. But they can be tricky to work with: in extremely rare cases, manufacturing defects cause them to catch fire without warning. A liquid cooling system in the Roadster's battery pack removes heat so rapidly that the combustion of one bad cell can't set off the rest.

5. Body and Frame
An aluminum frame and carbon-composite body panels keep the car lightweight. That helps extend its range.

To read more about Tesla Motors and their technology, click here.

Show me the Honey- what could be behind Colony Collapse

Bee with flower: Photo by Arturo Mann

People generally know that substances that are harmless when taken separately in small doses can lead to disorientation, and perhaps uncharacteristic behavior, when mixed. Honey bees, apparently, do not. After all, dabbling is what honey bees do, and it's what we love them for. These little workers are responsible for billions of annual agricultural industry dollars, thanks to their pollination services. But bees haven't been staying on task. They've been acting a little weird lately--leaving their hives and not coming back--and attracting a lot of attention for it. Haagen-Dazs even created a flavor of ice cream in an effort to raise awareness about the phenomenon -- called Colony Collapse Disorder -- and funds for research on its causes at Penn State and UC Davis. The disorder is generally attributed to a variety of causes, including (depending on who you ask) parasites, viruses, mites, chemical exposure, and even radiation from cell phone towers.

While pesticides have consistently been acknowledged as a contributing factor within this problematic milieu, recent research at Penn State has revealed that pesticide levels in hives are much higher than researchers predicted. Beekeepers use some pesticides as an inexpensive way to combat varroa mites in their colonies. While the researchers were able to reduce the pesticide levels in beeswax foundation -- the wax that beekeepers use to create hive structures -- through irradiation, this only addresses part of the problem. The extraordinarily high levels of pesticides discovered in the bees, their honey, and their pollen, showed that pesticide exposure outside of the hives is contributing to the problem.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates agricultural pesticide use, but this regulation does not account for the interaction of these chemicals that inevitably takes place through the bees' pollination processes. Some of these combinations of pesticides have been found to have a synergistic effect hundreds of times more toxic than any of the pesticides individually, says James L. Frazier, professor of entomology at Penn State. Bees' exposure to these toxic chemical combinations both outside of, and within, the home -- er, hive -- may cause behavioral changes. These changes include immune system blocks and disorientation, which may help to explain the CCD crisis of late.

Last year, the American Beekeepers' Federation, in a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, encouraged Congress to pass the 2007 Farm Bill. The letter highlighted environmental regulation and enforcement as one of the beekeeping industry's priority issues, stating "the central role of bees in the environment and farm economy should be emphasized in environmental regulation and enforcement, including in the review and approval of new farm chemicals and treatments.... In the Farm Bill or otherwise, Congress should, among other things, mandate that sub-lethal effects on honey bees be considered in the regulatory process for new agricultural treatments."

Whether Congress follows through or not, organic farming and agricultural practices provide an approach to addressing the problem of pesticide toxicity in bees. The Institute of Science in Society stated in a recent press release that "organic farming practices that retain more natural habitats and avoid the use of chemical pesticides should provide environments that serve as honeybee sanctuaries from the ravages of CCD. There are scientific studies showing that agricultural landscapes with organic crops are far superior environments for both honey- and bumblebees. It would be prudent to create organic bee sanctuaries as widely and as soon as possible... There is every reason to eliminate the use of all pesticides that act synergistically with parasitic fungi, and all Bt crops should be banned for the same reason. Obviously, these problems will disappear with the widespread adoption of organic, non-GM farming."

Of course, organic agricultural practices are not the industry norm, and bees pollinate both organic and non-organic crops. This is why a “widespread adoption” of organic agricultural practices will indeed be necessary in addressing the pesticide problem.

In the meantime, Haagen-Dazs recommends that individuals plant flowers that attract and sustain local honeybee populations. Supporting organic agricultural practices, too, will help to keep the honeybees chemical-free, going to work for our agricultural economy, and returning to their rightful homes when the work is done.

What's Next For Outdoor Adventurers

Kick Axe: Photo by © Broudy/Donohue Photography

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Eco-friendly tent poles, retracting rudders, nano-fabrics, kinetic-core harnesses; PopSci takes a look at all the future tech you need to rough it. Check out the exclusive photo tour.

Economy Gets Big Stimulus Boost

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A revised reading on gross domestic product announced Thursday showed much better U.S. economic growth than previously reported for the second quarter.

GDP, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity, stood at an annual rate of 3.3% in the quarter, adjusted for inflation, the Commerce Department said.

The revised results far surpassed the initial advanced estimate of 1.9% released late last month, which disappointed economists.

Many experts say the more than $90 billion in economic stimulus checks that reached taxpayers during the quarter helped boost GDP up from just 0.9% growth in the previous quarter.

Economists surveyed on Briefing.com expected the revised reading to show the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.7% in the second quarter.

The Chismillionaire Convertible

For one week in August, Pebble Beach, California, is the toughest destination in the country to arrive at with a sense of presence. A red Ferrari F430 turns transparent, inspiring rare demonstrations of rich-guy unity as they team up to form more intimidating packs of Ferraris, making Blue Angels-style formations on the local highway. Bentley Continentals may as well be Honda Civics as the world's wealthiest pour into town for the Concour d'Elegance. But as I watch the eyes of bystanders drift past a Gallardo Spyder, then stop and lock on to my hood ornament, I, the only broke guy on the Monterey Peninsula, am suddenly feeling the onset of my Cinderella moment. That's because I've arrived in a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe.

The Drophead defines presence, especially considering that few of this year's 200 examples have been delivered thus far in the States. Just think, a brand new car that's more exclusive than the Packards or V-16 Cadillacs fighting for Pebble's "Best of Show" award. Despite this Roller's two doors, it's only 1.6 inches shorter than a Suburban but loses out on trunk space to a Hyundai Elantra. By a lot. At 5776 pounds it also weighs the same as two of those little Koreans, yet it'll beat a Volkswagen GTI to 60 mph with over a second to spare. The Spirit of Ecstasy — the greatest name ever given to a car part — can be retracted at will, but even when left up it can sense just a few degrees of lateral pull and duck for cover beneath the brushed metal hood.

A Drophead's life begins at BMW's "Centre for Aluminum Competence" in Dingolfing, Germany,where a team of efficient workers in white coats precision-weld the aluminum spaceframe by hand. It's then checked by a computer to ensure all tolerances are within one tenth of a millimeter.

From there the process slows, with most of the 350 man-hours (not including engine assembly or tea breaks) invested in each car happening at Rolls-Royce's Goodwood factory in Jolly Old. Compared to a Phantom sedan, the Drophead uses larger individual pieces of leather, so even more care must be taken to not let imperfections show. And the 30-piece, J-class yacht-inspired teak deck that hides the withdrawn cloth roof is color- and grain-matched just as the interior wood pieces are — a process that can take as much as a month. Same goes for the brushed steel of the grille, hood, and A-pillars. All three are hand-polished together to achieve a uniform grain. The brushed-steel-and-teak deck, by the way, is a $17,550 option.

I start my day with the top up because I can't get over how romantically traditional it looks. Some critics have complained that the Drophead doesn't use a more 21st century-friendly retractable hard top, but I think that would've been a mistake for this company so in tune with its motoring heritage. Ian Cameron, the car's chief designer, explains it even better: "There's nothing more romantic than driving a convertible in the rain at night and hearing the drops hit the roof." Plus, this is the largest convertible top currently on the market. The logistics of cramming a stack of metal pancakes under the rear deck would've been a nightmare.

For being a soft top, ruffling wind noise is noticeably absent. Then again, what should we expect from a Rolls? The inside liner, made from a blend of cashmere, strengthens the car's case as a romantic getaway. That feeling is diminished only by the fact that everyone walking along the road beside me is squinting to catch a glimpse of the car's fortunate pilot.

The Drophead experience is completely different once the, er, head is dropped. Instead of a cloaked mobile getaway for the ultra-rich, it's more like a throne suspended on Goodyears. Its tires — 255/50R21 up front and 285/55R21 at the tail — tower vertically from the ground like something from the 1940s, only with more wheel and less rubber. A crease along the car's flank adds more visual height, as does the squared off fender, which still sits a few inches lower than the hood. The A-framed windshield surround forms the car's peak at 62.2 inches. And that's about where the average driver's head sits, too. You don't sit in this car as with most convertibles, but on it, able to govern the long expanses of the metal and wood kingdom stretching fore and aft. You're out there for everyone to see and for children to point at: "Look daddy, that man's driving a boat on the street. How silly!"

Acceleration from a stop might be described as boat-like, too. Get intimate with the right pedal and the car doesn't jump forward with the urgency you'd expect from 453 hp and, more importantly, 531 lb-ft of torque. Instead, the needle of the "Power Reserve" meter starts its trip counter-clockwise and the weight transfer sags the rear end slightly. The car creeps up on plane and charges forward before settling back into its near 50/50 weight balance. The faint V-12 murmur never changes much and gearshifts are almost imperceptible; the trip up to 60 mph in under six seconds is decidedly un-newsworthy, despite the fact that it'd beat many exotics from fifteen years ago.

At speed, driving the Drophead is rather paradoxical. It looks big, it feels big, and if something could smell or taste big, this Roller would bewilder those senses too. But it's surprisingly nimble and incredibly easy to maneuver down the narrow coastal roads of the Monterey Peninsula. Yes, it's soft, but in a sharp and composed way that one would expect from a car with BMW influence and an almost half-million-dollar price tag. It sails over rises and sinks in dips but there's never a feeling that the tires are operating independently from the body. The ultra-light steering feedback is projected through a wide-diameter, thin-rimmed steering wheel that's prohibitive of the traditional ten-and-two grasp. Instead, I'm wielding almost three tons of iron, tree, and cow with a delicate fingertip massage of the wheel. Everything about it feels right, other than my lack of a tobacco pipe.

Slower traffic heading back into Pebble Beach gives me an opportunity to really take in the old-world interior. What isn't real chrome is soft leather, and what isn't either is solid walnut. Any extraneous electronics — namely the iDrive screen and controller — tuck away out of site when not in use, that screen spinning away behind an analog clock as though Rolls-Royce has hired Q as an interior designer. Other hidden electronics also do magic tricks: a button in the glove box controls the hood ornament while another in the A-pillar quarter-window operates the power-closing suicide doors. At the end of my drive, I open and shut it a few more times just for fun, then pull the umbrella from the door jamb and swing it around like Gene Kelly, savoring my last moments of living on the finest fringe of society.

Then I walk away, thinking about my drive. Wait, was I driving? The Phantom Drophead Coupe makes such a non-event of covering long distances that I feel confused about the satisfaction it brought me. It wasn't involving like a sports car, but it wasn't a complete Camry–esque bore. It's like if some random stranger handed me a $100 bill and thanked me for my fine work. What the hell did I just do?

In that way, it's the perfect car for those with the means. Every time you get in, the Drophead congratulates you for your hard work, then says, "Sit back and rest. Let me take it from here." It makes sports cars seem so, well, childish. And for some reason, brandy sounds delicious for the first time ever. God, what's wrong with me?

Chrysler may sell of Viper brand

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — In a stunning announcement, Chrysler on Wednesday confirmed it will "explore strategic options for the Dodge Viper business." The move signals a potential sale of the hand-built Viper, an iconic American sports car inspired by the legendary AC Cobra.

"We have been approached by third parties who are interested in exploring future possibilities for Viper," said Bob Nardelli, Chrysler chairman and CEO, in a statement. "As the company evaluates strategic options to maximize core operations and leverage its assets, we have agreed to listen to these parties.

"We will do so keeping in mind the best interests of those who have shown tremendous support for the vehicle — including employees, suppliers, dealers and a worldwide group of loyal Viper owners and enthusiasts."

Nardelli added: "Viper is an integral part of this company's heritage. While this is a strategic review, our intent would be to offer strong operational and financial support during any potential transaction, in order to ensure a future for the Viper business and perpetuate the legacy of this great vehicle."

Chrysler underscored that it has not set a timetable for completion of the Viper review and noted that no "final decision" has been made with regard to the Viper.

Getting rid of the Viper would allow the automaker to focus on its "core business," Chrysler said.

In January, Inside Line reported that with new owner Cerberus accounting for every penny, there was increasing pressure to do something about the Viper. Supplier sources told Inside Line that Chrysler is prepared to "make an instantaneous decision" to discontinue the Viper, especially if it "no longer can deliver the desired halo effect."

What this means to you: Uncertain times for Viper loyalists as Detroit gets ready to sell off yet another piece of its automotive heritage.

More detail on Chevy Volt from GMNext

DETROIT — The highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt, perhaps the most important car in General Motors history, will have such features as low-rolling-resistance tires and iPod connectivity. Those details emerged in a recent online chat with Bob Boniface, Chevrolet Volt director of design.

The transcript of the chat went up this week on GMnext.com. Perhaps the most tantalizing bit of dialogue was an exchange between Boniface and Omar Rana, the editor in chief at eGMCarTech.com.

"We keep hearing the [sic] GM will reveal the Volt sometime in September. Is that true?" asked Rana.

"We have not yet announced when the Volt will be revealed," replied Boniface. "It will be soon, but any specific dates are conjecture at this point."

The lengthy chat gave readers more insight into what to expect from GM's electric car. Boniface gushed that the "interior is fantastic! The material selection is innovative and compelling." In response to a query about whether GM will add "technological features like iPod connectivity, USB audio ports, Bluetooth and such" to the Volt, Boniface answered "yes, yes and yes."

He also noted that the Volt "will have a folding rear seat creating a flat cargo area" and come equipped with "low-rolling-resistance tires."

In an encouraging development, Boniface said that aerodynamic discoveries from the Volt may make their way into other GM vehicles. "We have learned efficient ways to treat the underbody, spoiler, side mirrors, etc., which can be adapted to other programs," he said.

What this means to you: Just a few more juicy tidbits to chew on as you try to put together the puzzle of the Chevrolet Volt.

Viper ACR slays ZR1 & GTR at the Ring- goes 7:22

By Ron Kiino

Photography by Charlie Magee

Watch the Viper's record-breaking lap HERE

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After Nissan announced in May of this year that its 480-horsepower, all-wheel-drive GT-R lapped Germany's infamous 20.8-km (12.9 miles) Nurburgring Nordschleife in a time of 7:29, Viper people became restless. Then, just a month later, following Chevrolet's declaration that its 638-horsepower supercharged Corvette ZR1 was the king of the hill, breaking the GT-R's record with a time of 7:26, Viper people became downright mad. Not the folks who work for Dodge, mind you, but the members of the Viper Club of America, a group of Viper fanatics that in fact stretches its arms well beyond America, as far as Japan and Germany. Sick and tired of hearing about other cars setting records at the Nordschleife, they wanted to see their pride and joy-namely, Dodge's new track-attacking 600-horsepower Viper ACR (American Club Racer)-take a shot at the record books. But what could they do about it?

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Well, they could (and did) bug Dodge-specifically, the Street & Racing Technology team-to the point that SRT said, What the heck, let's go for it. So SRT rented the Nordschleife for a half-day (at a cost of $2000 Euro per hour), shipped two ACRs over to Germany, hired a pro driver through Zakspeed (a race team that runs Vipers in the ADAC Zurich 24h Race at the Nrburgring), and hoped for good weather and, more important, a lap time quicker than 7:26. And, for posterity, the SRT team figured having a media outlet on-hand was a wise idea, so they invited Motor Trend, and yours truly was fortunate enough to get the call.

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Chasing the Record
On August 18, the day of the record attempt, the climate gods appear to be on Dodge's side-temps are in the 60s Fahrenheit and rainclouds have come and gone the day prior, so, save for two, slightly damp spots, the track is dry (a rarity at the Nordschleife, as precipitation is common in the Eifel region of Germany, often leaving the 'Ring damp, in parts or entirety). At 8 a.m., FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) driver Tom Coronel, who pilots a Leon TFSi for SEAT Team Holland, arrives at the track, ready to be debriefed and prepped for his 9 a.m. start time. In addition to his time in WTCC, Coronel, a Dutchman, has compiled extensive experience in Formula 3, Formula Nippon, and, most significant on this day, the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring. After donning his race suit and conversing with the SRT engineers, Coronel squeezes into the red-and-black ACR (a black-and-gray ACR was brought along as a back-up) and departs on his warm-up lap.

(A note on the two Viper ACRs: Except for a Racetech seat with a six-point harness, each ACR is factory stock and fitted with the Hard Core package, a no-cost option that cuts 40 pounds off the curb weight. About 10 percent of ACR customers order the HCP, which deletes the audio system, trunk carpet, rear cabin sound insulation, tire inflator kit, hood insulator, and steel battery cover.)

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If there were any skeptics regarding Coronel's ability to hustle a Viper around the 'Ring, his first two laps-a 7:42 and a 7:35, respectively-silence all of them. Informed of his times, Coronel seems somewhat pleased and then asks, "And what time are you trying to break?" After hearing that he's nearly 10 seconds behind the record, he shrugs and says, "I think that is possible." To address Coronel's complaints that the ACR is displaying light understeer in medium- to high-speed turns and its steering feels a little light, engineers stiffen the front dampers for both compression and rebound (up three clicks to position 11, out of 14 total) and the rear dampers for compression (again, up three clicks to 11). The adjustable rear wing, which offers seven hole positions with the seventh offering the most down force, remains in position three, while the front splitter stays at its initial setting (0) as does the ride height (0.5 inch lower than stock).

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Breaking the Record
Coronel's second and third stints, each with one hot lap, render the same record-breaking time of 7:24, evidence that the suspension alterations, along with fresh Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, are cutting time. The team is happy but not overjoyed-the record is theirs but they know the car can do better. According to SRT engineer Mike Shinedling, computer simulations done back in Michigan showed the ACR capable of times well into the teens, so a sub-7:20 is the ultimate goal.

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On the fourth run, another single hot lap, Coronel puts down the best time of the day, a 7:22.1, slicing over four seconds from the ZR1's time. It's not a sub-7:20, but it'll more than do. Per Shinedling, "Had we shortened the gearing and had more than a day to develop the car for the Nordshcleife, we probably could have dipped below 7:20, but we're very happy with our time, nonetheless." So is Coronel, who suggests the team celebrate with a round of beer at the famous Pistenklause restaurant. Everyone obliges, as there is much to rejoice and, let's face it, likely little time to enjoy it-undoubtedly, the ZR1 will be back as will the GT-R (rumors abound that a V-Spec version has lapped a 7:25). But for now, the Viper ACR is the most lethal 'Ringer around.

PHELPS POOLING THE GOLD

OLYMPIAN STROKES HIS WAY TO $1.6M BOOK ADVANCE

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EVEN before landing back in the US, Olympic swimming champ Michael Phelps, winner of eight gold medals in Beijing and the man being hailed as the greatest Olympian of all time, was converting his fame into a big pool of Yankee dollars.

Phelps snagged an estimated $1.6 million advance from the Free Press imprint of Simon & Schuster for his latest book, to be called "Built to Succeed."

Waxman Literary Agency, working with Phelps' long-time talent manager Peter Carlisle of Octagon, brokered the deal, which had a $1 million floor price just to get into the hunt.

At least a half-dozen major publishers took a look before Dominick Anfuso, editorial director of Free Press, landed the deal.

In the book, which is being called an "inspirational memoir," the publisher said that Phelps will reveal the secrets of his success, and give a behind-the-scenes look at his approach to training, competition and winning.

The narrative thread is expected to be the eight final swims of the 2008 games.

The book will make it onto bookshelves by December.

Phelps, now 23, had first signed up with Carlisle when he was 15 and was just starting to turn pro.

Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman, had first approached Carlisle about repping Phelps, but Carlisle rebuffed Bowman's overture. At the time, Carlisle was heavily involved in the burgeoning snowboarding scene and didn't want to diversify.

But Bowman persisted and now Carlisle has his own version of Olympic marketing gold, thanks to his most famous client.

Carlisle told The Wall Street Journal recently that he thinks Phelps will eventually earn $100 million in his lifetime from marketing and endorsement deals.

Phelps has already earned a $1 million bonus from swimwear maker Speedo, at the Olympics, for breaking the 36-year-old record for the most gold medals earned in a single Olympics, which was set by Mark Spitz.

Last year, Phelps was said to have earned about $5 million from marketing and endorsement deals with companies like Visa, Omega, Power Bar, Speedo and AT&T.

This year, experts say he'll easily double that figure.

Whatever Phelps' long-term selling power turns out to be, he has already passed one of the early marks of hotness by selling out magazine covers.

Sports Illustrated put Phelps on the cover of the Aug. 25 issue that hit newsstands last Thursday with his eight gold medals forming an Olympic necklace -a reprise of Spitz' famous SI cover in 1972.

Early estimates are that Phelps' issue sold close to 130,000 copies on newsstands - a 54,000-copy, or 72 percent, surge over the 75,640 copies that the magazine sold in an average week in the second half of 2007.

Dara's deal

Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer, wrapped up her two-book deal with the Broadway imprint of Random House Inc., even before she splashed down in Beijing and promptly added three more medals to her collection.

Torres, who came out of retirement two years ago, after the birth of her first child, to prepare for her final Olympic event, plans to write a yet-to-be titled inspirational memoir scheduled to be on shelves next April.

The second book, a fitness guide, won't hit shelves until the spring of 2011.

The books were purchased by Stacy Creamer, editor-in-chief for Broadway, in a deal brokered by Evan Morgenstein at Premier Management Group.

Torres has competed in the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 2000 Olympics and has 12 Olympic medals overall, including five golds and the three silvers that she added to her haul at the Beijing Games.

Fast track

Doubleday is speeding up the release of "The Man Who Owns the News," the Michael Wolff tome on Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp. (which owns The Post) and its epic $5.4 billion takeover of The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones.

The book, which Amazon still lists as landing on shelves in February, will now be out in early December.

Wolff, a columnist at Vanity Fair, is going to be able to doubly hype the book.

First, he's writing about Murdoch for his monthly column in the October issue that hits newsstands next week. Then Vanity Fair's December issue, which hits in November, will feature an excerpt from the book.

A spokesman for Doubleday said, "We expect to get 100,000 copies out to start."

Last August, Wolff snagged what is believed to have been a $1 million advance to write the book for which Murdoch agreed to grant access.

keith.kelly@nypost.com

Top 3 Most and Least "Fee Crazy" Airlines

Airline fees are a controversial topic these days, so we look a look at the fees that airlines were charging and picked the top 3 most and least "fee crazy" airlines. Avoiding fees is hard, so why not try to avoid the airlines that charge them instead?

Most Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. U.S. Airways: Not only does U.S. Airways have the distinction of being the only US airline to charge for water, they were also the first to discontinue free snacks. They've also decided to do away with in-flight entertainment. So what will you think about while you're bored, hungry and thirsty? How about that $15 first checked bag fee, the $25 second checked bag fee, the $5-30$ fee to choose your favorite economy class seat, and the whopping $250 fee you paid to change your ticket. Oh, yeah, and remember when they made everyone crazy by charging a $5 fee to book a ticket... with their own website?
2. United Airlines: United is following U.S. Airways lead with a combination of cutting amenities and introducing fees. They've done away with snacks and are selling "snack boxes." Soon, United will be raising the prices for these items and economy class passengers will be expected to pay $9 for a sandwich. While you're munching on that overpriced nonsense, you can add up the following fees: $15 to check your first bag, $25 for the second bag, and $125 for the third. Then there's the $25 you paid to book your ticket over the phone, the $125 you paid for the privilege of traveling with your pet in the cabin, and of course, the $349 per year that you pay to be able to "stretch out and relax in comfort in seats located at the front of the Economy section,".."if available."
   
3. (tie) Delta Airlines & American Airlines: American was the first airline to charge for the 1st checked bag, and Delta has managed to resist that fee — but Delta's other fees are just so darn expensive that we had to call this one a tie. Ultimately, it costs more to check two bags with Delta than it does with U.S. Airways, United, or American. American currently charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second, and from $3-6 for snacks. Delta charges nothing for the first checked bag, but if you're thinking of checking two bags, get ready to pay $50 for the second bag, and $125 for the third bag. Ouch! Delta's snacks are complimentary, but they charge from $1-10 more for certain special items.

Least Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. Southwest Airlines: Southwest is the only major airline that isn't charging a fee to check two bags, and the third checked bag will only cost you $25. There is also no fee to change your ticket. Instead, you'll get a flight credit that is good for one year. They don't charge a fee to book over the phone or in person, and they don't charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor.
   
2. AirTran: AirTran has fees but they're lower than a lot of its competitors. For example, the 2nd checked bag is $10 and the third is $50. The ticket change fee is $75, and unaccompanied minors will only cost you $39, as opposed to $100 on Delta, United, etc. You will pay $6 for an advanced seat assignment and $20 to sit in an exit row.
   
3. JetBlue: JetBlue keeps threatening to go over to the dark side with new charges for things that used to be free (headsets $1, blankets and pillows $7) but they still have some of the more reasonable fees in the industry. There is no charge for the first checked back, and the second bag will cost you $20. Changing your ticket will cost you $100, and expect to pay from $10-20 more for their mini-business class "extra legroom" seats. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful and free, however. Love those blue potato chips.

If you're looking for an easy way to compare fees, check out this excellent PDF from the folks at SmarterTravel.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, and SeatGuru.com.

Dodge Trucks....Why men are so attracted to Dodge Trucks

Man hires hitman to kill wife. Wife Kills Hitman!

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The Associated Press

updated 5:14 a.m. ET, Sat., Sept. 16, 2006

PORTLAND, Ore. - When Susan Kuhnhausen returned home from work one day earlier this month, she encountered an intruder wielding a claw hammer. After a struggle, the 51-year-old nurse fended off her attacker by strangling him with her bare hands.

Neighbors praised the woman for her bravery, and investigators said they believed the dead man — Edward Dalton Haffey — was burglarizing Kuhnhausen’s home.

But after an investigation, police now say the intruder Kuhnhausen strangled was apparently a hit man hired by her estranged husband — Michael James Kuhnhausen Sr. — to kill her.

The 58-year-old husband was taken into custody Thursday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. He was ordered held on $500,000 bail.

Haffey had worked as a custodian under Kuhnhausen at an adult video store, according an affidavit filed by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office.

Kuhnhausen and his wife were in the process of getting a divorce, and she told officers “her husband was distraught about the divorce and wanting to reconcile but that she was insisting on the divorce,” the affidavit states.

A background check showed Haffey had served lengthy prison terms for conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and convictions for robbery and burglary.

Inside a backpack Haffey left at the scene was a day planner with “Call Mike, Get letter,” scribbled on the week of Sept. 4, the affidavit said. Michael Kuhnhausen’s cell phone number was jotted on the inside of a folder, it said.

An emergency room nurse who lives in a southeast Portland neighborhood, Susan Kuhnhausen arrived home on the evening of Sept. 6 to find Haffey coming at her with a claw hammer.

She was struck in the head and wrested the weapon away, but the struggle continued and Haffey bit the nurse, according to police. A large woman, she was eventually able to get the slight Haffey into a chokehold and police later found him dead in a hallway. An autopsy revealed the cause of death as strangulation.

Police say she acted in self-defense.

There was no sign of forced entry into the home, but according to the affidavit, Susan Kuhnhausen offered an explanation for the lack of evidence of a break-in: Her estranged husband had the security codes for the home’s alarm system, and would have been able to disarm it.

Michael Kuhnhausen denies any involvement, the affidavit states.

Susan Kuhnhausen was out of town attending a nursing conference and did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

She left this message on her voicemail: “I’m not able to answer all the calls that I’ve received in the past few days. I’m being comforted by your concern and your support. I want you to know that our lives are all at risk for random acts, but more likely random acts of love will come your way than random acts of violence.”

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Israel to Display the Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet

By ETHAN BRONNER

Published: August 26, 2008

JERUSALEM — In a crowded laboratory painted in gray and cooled like a cave, half a dozen specialists embarked this week on a historic undertaking: digitally photographing every one of the thousands of fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the aim of making the entire file — among the most sought-after and examined documents on earth — available to all on the Internet.

Enlarge This Image

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

From left, three views of a fragment of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls: a plain digital image, a color scan and an infrared scan.

Enlarge This Image

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

Simon Tanner is leading a team at Israel's museum who are digitalizing the Dead sea scrolls.

Equipped with high-powered cameras with resolution and clarity many times greater than those of conventional models, and with lights that emit neither heat nor ultraviolet rays, the scientists and technicians are uncovering previously illegible sections and letters of the scrolls, discoveries that could have significant scholarly impact.

The 2,000-year-old scrolls, found in the late 1940s in caves near the Dead Sea east of Jerusalem, contain the earliest known copies of every book of the Hebrew Bible (missing only the Book of Esther), as well as apocryphal texts and descriptions of rituals of a Jewish sect at the time of Jesus. The texts, most of them on parchment but some on papyrus, date from the third century B.C. to the first century A.D.

Only a handful of the scrolls exist in large pieces, with several on permanent exhibit at the Israel Museum here in its dimly lighted Shrine of the Book. Most of what was found is separated into 15,000 fragments that make up about 900 documents, fueling a longstanding debate on how to order the fragments as well as the origin and meaning of what is written on them.

The scrolls’ contemporary history has been something of a tortured one because they are among the most important sources of information on Jewish and early Christian life. After their initial discovery they were tightly held by a small circle of scholars. In the last 20 years access has improved significantly, and in 2001 they were published in their entirety. But debate over them seems only to grow.

Scholars continually ask the Israel Antiquities Authority, the custodian of the scrolls, for access to them, and museums around the world seek to display them. Next month, the Jewish Museum of New York will begin an exhibition of six of the scrolls.

The keepers of the scrolls, people like Pnina Shor, head of the conservation department of the antiquities authority, are delighted by the intense interest but say that each time a scroll is exposed to light, humidity and heat, it deteriorates. She says even without such exposure there is deterioration because of the ink used on some of the scrolls as well as the residue from the Scotch tape used by the 1950s scholars in piecing together fragments.

The entire collection was photographed only once before — in the 1950s using infrared — and those photographs are stored in a climate-controlled room because they show things already lost from some of the scrolls. The old infrared pictures will also be scanned in the new digital effort.

“The project began as a conservation necessity,” Ms. Shor explained. “We wanted to monitor the deterioration of the scrolls and realized we needed to take precise photographs to watch the process. That’s when we decided to do a comprehensive set of photos, both in color and infrared, to monitor selectively what is happening. We realized then that we could make the entire set of pictures available online to everyone, meaning that anyone will be able to see the scrolls in the kind of detail that no one has until now.”

The process will probably take one to two years — more before it is available online — and is being led by Greg Bearman, who retired from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Data collection is directed by Simon Tanner of Kings College London.

Jonathan Ben-Dov, a professor of biblical studies at the University of Haifa, is taking part in the digitalization project. Watching the technicians gingerly move a fragment into place for a photograph, he said that it had long been very difficult for senior scholars to get access.

Once this project is completed, he said with wonder, “every undergraduate will be able to have a detailed look at them from numerous angles.”

Ready for take-off, Tiddles? Meet the cats which have sprouted wings

While most cats are renowned for having nine lives, these moggies are clearly living on a wing and a prayer.

The cute little devils began sprouting bumps on their backs, which later turned into wing-like growths, during a recent spell of hot weather in China's Sichuan province.

Cat owner Feng says her Tom cat grew wings after becoming stressed during the recent mating season

One cat owner, known only as Feng, claims her cat's wings are a result of stress after he was 'harassed' by females looking to mate.

'At first, they were just two bumps, but they started to grow quickly, and after a month there were two wings,' she told Huashang News.

'Many female cats in heat came to harass him, and then the wings started to grow.'

This moggie also has the wings which genetic experts say does not harm his quality of life

The harmless growths appeared during a recent spell of hot weather

And while she says her lovable Tom is no devil, his wings, which contain bones, make him look more like a 'cat angel'.

But genetic experts claim there is nothing angelic or magical about the condition, which doesn't hinder the cat's quality of life.

They say the wings can form through poor grooming, a genetic defect or a hereditary skin condition.