Archive for February 6th, 2009

Things change: Terrorist "renditions" – bad by Bush, ok by Obama

February 6, 2009

Ken’s Take: Under Bush, terrorist renditioning was dirtier than dirt.  A clear violation of terrorists rights.  Now, it’s ok.  Hmmmm.

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Excerpted from LA Times, “Obama preserves renditions as counter-terrorism tool”, February 1, 2009 

The CIA’s secret prisons are being shuttered. Harsh interrogation techniques are off-limits. And Guantanamo Bay will eventually go back to being a wind-swept naval base on the southeastern corner of Cuba.

But even while dismantling these programs, President Obama left intact an equally controversial counter-terrorism tool.

Under executive orders issued by Obama recently, the CIA still has authority to carry out what are known as renditions, secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to countries that cooperate with the United States.

Current and former U.S. intelligence officials said that the rendition program might be poised to play an expanded role going forward because it was the main remaining mechanism — aside from Predator missile strikes — for taking suspected terrorists off the street.

The Obama administration appears to have determined that the rendition program was one component of the Bush administration’s war on terrorism that it could not afford to discard.

The decision underscores the fact that the battle with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups is far from over and that even if the United States is shutting down”

“In some ways, [rendition] is the worst option,” the former official said. “If they are in U.S. hands, you have a lot of checks and balances, medics and lawyers. Once you turn them over to another service, you lose control.” the prisons, it is not done taking prisoners.

The decision to preserve the program did not draw major protests, even among human rights groups. Leaders of such organizations attribute that to a sense that nations need certain tools to combat terrorism.

Full article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-rendition1-2009feb01,0,1822531,full.story 

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Posted in anti-terrorism, Government & Politics, Obama Administration, Terrorism | Leave a Comment »

A Greener, Leaner Detroit: Rebranding the Big 3

February 6, 2009

Excerpted from Washington Post, “Detroit Overhauls Its Image”, by Kendra Marr and Peter Whoriskey, January 10, 2009

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Ditching their usual glitz and glamour, U.S. carmakers used the nation’s biggest auto show for presenting green, fuel-efficient cars as the industry’s ride to the future.

Getting there will depend not just on salesmanship but on behind-the-scenes discussions the auto companies are holding with the United Auto Workers and the Obama administration.

With the industry dependent on government help, this year’s event took on a starkly muted character: “No fog machines, no laser light shows”  …   Smaller exhibits … Fewer product launches …  Fewer concept cars … no fashion shows (huh?) 

The automakers’ new posture is not just a reflection of the downturn but also of lessons learned since company executives descended on Washington two months ago, arriving in private jets but approaching Congress with hats in hand.

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If the domestic industry survives, the show may have heralded a new era.

Hybrid technology stole the spotlight from old-school horsepower.

Although large sedans such as the new 2010 Ford Taurus and 2010 Buick LaCrosse stirred interest among industry watchers, fuel-efficiency drew the crowds.

Ford boasted that its Fusion hybrid beats the Toyota Camry by 8 miles per gallon in the city and 2 mpg on the highway …  An advanced hybrid propulsion system allows it to travel up to 47 mph in electric mode — faster than any other hybrid on the market. Its engineers also installed a smart gauge to teach drivers how to squeeze the miles out of each gallon of gas. The better you control that gas, the more green leaves pop up on the dashboard display. See a forest? You’re a pro.

Ford unveiled details of a plan to bring to market by 2012 a family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles.

Even GM’s 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, which will be marketed as a luxury SUV alternative, maximizes its fuel efficiency, boasting 28 mpg on the highway.

“It’s part of the rebranding of Michigan as the technological leader in environmental, green, zero-emissions vehicles.”

Edit by DAF

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Full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/09/AR2009010903639_pf.html

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Posted in Autos - Travel, Environment - Green | Leave a Comment »

PVP: CPGs passing on higher food costs with smaller packaging

February 6, 2009

Excerpted from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “Freshly squeezed: The ever shrinking box and carton” by Chris Serres, December 2, 2008

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In the past year, thousands of small, almost imperceptible changes swept through the grocery aisles where American families shop each day.

The indented bottom of a Skippy peanut butter jar got more indented, turning an 18-ounce jar into a 16.3-ounce one. Ice cream containers shrank by one-quarter of a quart. And for breakfast, a jug of Tropicana orange juice got 7 ounces lighter while that box of Froot Loops lost more than 2 ounces.

Shoppers without a keen eye and a willingness to read the fine print on labels might have missed what has happened: Food manufacturers were downsizing packages, while keeping prices the same, as they passed on higher food costs to consumers.

According to a recent analysis by Nielsen Co., about 30 percent of all packaged goods have lost content over the past year. This at a time when U.S. grocery bills are rising — up 7.5 percent in October vs. the same month a year ago — at the fastest rate in 18 years.

What began as a response to rising fuel and ingredient costs has become institutionalized at many companies. At General Mills, for example, cost-cutting is so embedded that the company even has its own intimidating term for it: “Holistic Margin Management.”

It’s not always about shrinking packages, which can account for as much as 75 percent of a product’s cost. Even seemingly small changes in a package’s design can mean millions of dollars in annual savings — lessening pressure to raise prices to cover costs.

There is an entire science behind packaging reductions, enlightened by a long list of unsuccessful changes.

For instance, food manufacturers know consumers react more to changes in height than width, so cereal boxes often get thinner before they get shorter.

Once a product changes, buyers often forget the previous size, creating a new standard. Five years ago, ice cream tubs were a half-gallon, or 2 quarts; few noticed when it dwindled to 1.75 quarts and then, this past year, to 1.5 quarts.

When PepsiCo reduced the size of its Tropicana orange juice jug by 7 ounces, it touted the container’s “new ergonomic design” and easy-to-open snap cap. Yet consumer advocates argued the new features were really meant to distract from the reduced weight.

“This is the packaging equivalent of three-card monte,” said Ben Popken, editor of Consumerist.com, a website whose “Grocery Shrink Ray” tracks shrinking packages. “By changing several factors at the same time, food companies disguise the fact that you’re getting less for the same price.”  

Edit by NRV

Full article:
http://www.startribune.com/business/35343634.html 

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Posted in Mktg - Packaging, Mktg - Pricing | Leave a Comment »