Well the US is officially an automaker. What I hope is that GM is able to convert from a stodgy old “this is the way we have always done it” company to an innovative leader in cutting-edge technology. When one receives a new lease on life, one usually makes the rather easy decision to live it to its fullest. The realization that death is always mere moments away has the effect of freeing us from the burdens...

With the US public forced to own 60 per cent of the crippled auto giant General Motor’s share, the question about GM’s future is a legitimate one? Michael Moore, Oscar and Emmy-winning director, initiates a useful debate in Huffington Post. He wants the GM factories to stop making gas guzzling cars. Instead, GM should now produce energy-efficient and environment-friendly mass transportation systems. I...

In the latest evidence that the Obama administration may soon end up with more czars than in the entire history of pre-communist revolution Russia, President Barack Obama announced that he’ll be appointing a cyber czar to his administration and for the first time for any American administration will seriously put the potential issue of cyber security needed to combat cyber terrorism on the nation’s...

The U.S. electorate strongly suggested it last November 2008. Perhaps Republicans need to be reminded again. They’re overworked from completely messing up the economy for the past 8 years. They’re overtaxed as they can’t handle the multitude of new programs and policies from a Democratic Administration and Congress. They’re completely exhausted, as in being intellectually, ethically and organizationally...

No pressure: “The National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California aims to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear fusion, the reaction at the heart of the Sun and a potentially abundant, clean energy source for the planet. But whilst many eyes at the facility will be locked on the goal of satisfying humanity’s energy demands, many scientists hope to answer other fundamental questions for mankind. … “At...

As Americans struggle metaphorically with where the country is heading comes news of an imminent loss of our literal sense of direction. A GAO report on the $2 billion Air Force modernization of global position satellites warns that the system is at risk of failing as early as next year: “If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased...

While Americans squabble about politics here on earth, way above them the space shuttle Atlantis’ astronauts are engaging in a risky space walk to repair the Hubble Space Telescope — a high-tech repair with high stakes risks: John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel are on a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk to replace Hubble’s interplanetary camera with a new one that will allow it to look deeper into...

May 13, 2009, Wed., 8:30 PM: NEWS ITEM FROM PHOENIX/TEMPE, ARIZONA: President Obama Gives Stirring Graduation Address at ASU and Jokes about Honorary Degrees after most of the country in the first 3 time zones had already gone to bed. President Obama gave his first commencement address as U.S. President at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ at an outdoor early evening event in sweltering Sun Devil Stadium...

It is important for every American to understand demographics on the eve of our next constitutionally-mandated decennial census. How many of us live here and there, and where we live, decide the political, economic and social decisions of every politician, business leader, and many individuals and families. They determine the make-up of Congress and the national and state elections for at least a decade. MOst...

By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE As a child of the 1960s, my view of Booker T. Washington was shaped by the contemporary belief that while the famous founder of Tuskegee Institute was a civil-rights trailblazer in some respects, he was an Uncle Tom for having acquiesced in the rampant racial discrimination that was now being challenged by the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. But he did find an amazing number of things...

UPDATE: It’s been pointed out that I made it through all of the links below without saying what I thought… An oversight. I marveled in every minute of its escapist glee; I left believing J. J. Abrams has arrived at genius and each of his new young stars is destined to be a screen idol (or stuck locked in sequel hell). At once retro and exuberantly now, it made me feel young again; I felt as I did...

Let me begin by saying that I do recognize that the current swine flu outbreak is serious and it is important for us to be cautious in dealing with it. It is also quite appropriate for the media to give significant coverage to the topic and for all of us to be prepared. The government should be working to stockpile proper supplies of serum to prevent it from getting out of control. However, I do think that there...

Is there a more tragic — yet hope-inducing — story than Connie Culp’s? In September 2004, the attractive woman’s husband shot her squarely in the face in a murder-suicide. He died. She didn’t. But her suffering continued, in more ways than one. The shot blew away the center of her face. But now — a sign we are truly in a new century where things will be different —...

On Sunday morning, the White House sent out its swine flu truth squad to hit all the major Sunday talk shows, including Meet the Press, This Week and Fox News Sunday. The truth squad was clearly desperate to avoid any questions about Joe Biden and his apocalyptic warning this week that no one should travel in trains or planes, lest they catch the swine flu. On Meet the Press, David Gregory asked one question...

I don’t know about you, but I felt a little shiver along my spine when I heard on Wednesday that the World Health Organization had raised its H1N1 swine flu threat level to five, on a scale of one-to-six. I didn’t know what that meant, exactly. But news reports linking this threat level with the 1968 Hong Kong flu and the word “pandemic” were shaking my belief that the U.S. media were...

Now that it appears that the swine flu has officially reached “crisis” proportions that requires a White House response, I started looking for background information on the virus. This Washington Post article has a good timeline. In short, the first known victim died April 12th, Mexico identified something unusual was going on by April 16th and it was sent to Canada on Monday, with characterization...

In this age of super specialization, journalists also find themselves being labelled as ’science’, ‘environment’, ‘development’, ‘politics’, ‘film’, ‘health’, ‘defence’ journalists, etc. In the ’science’ category one person that became a legend was Sir John Maddox. Sir John, who is said to have reinvented science...

In my latest column at Pajamas Media, I have the next in our series of articles on fuel efficiency and economy in automobiles. In this edition I describe a course some of us took on “eco-driving” and how to save gas during the daily commute no matter what type of vehicle you own. We also look at consumer reactions to gas prices and the somewhat angry response toward Detroit by some prospective shoppers....

Gizmodo’s Odelia Lee takes Honda’s new cyborg legs for a spin: I’m definitely not the target demographic for [Honda's fresh-from-the-labs Stride Management Assist and Bodyweight Support Assist rigs], which Honda’s Fundamental Research Institute hopes will help mobilize and rehabilitate Japan’s rapidly aging population or lessen the leg fatigue of factory workers who stand and crouch...

The 2009 New York International Auto Show is in full swing now, running through April 19th in Manhattan. This turned out to be an excellent opportunity to continue our ongoing discussion of CAFE standards, environmentally friendly engineering and the future of the automotive industry in the United States. Before beginning we will need to offer up full disclosure. TMV was invited to the Auto Show as guests of...

For those interested in the amazing universe out there, NASA has released a new series of images from the Hubble telescope. These kinds of images make me wish I had followed my childhood ambition to be an astronomer They also make me wonder who could doubt the existence of an amazing God.

Patrick Corrigan, The Toronto Star This cartoon is copyritghted and licensed to appear on this site. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

Should we pass a bill giving the President unfettered authority to shut down the internet during a crisis and access any and all data from anyone while allowing him sole discretion to determine what constitutes a crisis and when one occurs? What could possibly go wrong? Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency? Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.)...

Microsoft is killing off Encarta later this year: While looking around Encarta’s homepage today, I stumbled on a message that Microsoft was getting rid of MSN Encarta completely: “On October 31, 2009, MSN Encarta Web sites worldwide will be discontinued, with the exception of Encarta Japan, which will be discontinued on December 31, 2009. Additionally, Microsoft will cease to sell Microsoft Student...

It’s the old nature vs. nurture debate. Is intelligence genetic, or does your upbringing matter? Yesterday, the Times reviewed a new book that makes the case for nurture. This comment from the reviewer caught my eye: When the evidence is ambiguous, it is all the easier for ideology to influence one’s scientific judgment. Liberals hope that social policy can redress life’s unfairness. Conservatives...