| American Standard finishes year with Trane ride
It has been anything but a standard year for American Standard. The Piscataway-based company completed the sale of its renowned bath and kitchen business and spun off its vehicle-control systems operation to focus solely on its more-profitable air-conditioning and heating systems. And Wednesday, it completed its three-way business split by announcing its name change to Trane, to identify with its popular HVAC brand. "Everyone has been clearly focused on the separation plan, and we're in the final stages," company spokesman Skip Colcord said. It was February when American Standard Chief Executive Officer Fred Poses announced that the company, which employs about 1,450 in New Jersey, would separate into three units in the hopes of creating greater shareholder value for its varied operations.
Electric cars face battery of hurdles
In the rush to deliver an electric car to the masses, General Motors Corp. is finding that the all-important battery might not be the only major hurdle. The heating and cooling systems, for example, are a challenge because they typically are built to run off a traditional fuel combustion engine. That means new types of air conditioning and heating systems must be built. GM, in a high-stakes race with Toyota Motor Corp. to turn out an affordable, effective battery-powered car, has found that while the lithium-ion batteries themselves are hitting all the marks on early road tests, a host of other issues are beginning to crop up. .
Fayette County man drops out of 9th District race
A Fayette County Democrat who said he was upset with U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster's voting record has decided not to challenge him for the 9th District seat and instead is endorsing the incumbent.Robert "Ted" Pritchard, 56, Fairchance, said Tuesday that he has to withdraw from the race because of health and personal issues. He said he spoke with Shuster and will be supporting him, not his would-be Democratic primary challenger, Tony Barr, of Blair County.
When he announced his candidacy at the end on January, Pritchard said he was upset that the 47-year-old Republican congressmen voted against the Clean Air Act and a minimum wage increase. He also said Shuster should have introduced legislation to combat the energy crisis.After speaking with the lawmaker, Pritchard said he changed his mind."Personally (Shuster and I) see eye to eye on things," he said.
DAVID LAVOIE: Don't take the amenities for granted
HOW easily the lives of those who live in the developed parts of the world can be disrupted. We rely on our amenities and utilities to such an extent that being without them, however briefly, becomes a huge hardship. We have water with which to wash, cook and flush away waste, we have electricity for lights and air-conditioning, we have food on demand, we have shelter. We want for little except, maybe more. But every once in a while a wake-up call comes knocking.
I live in a pleasant set of condominium buildings. Recently, everyone in my building received a notice saying simply: We would like to inform all residents that due to unforeseen repair work to the suction tank, there will be a disruption of water supply from Wednesday until Friday this week.
Three days without running water! No water for cooking! No showers or baths, no hand-washing, no laundry, no way to wash dishes, no way to flush ever-smellier toilets! Catastrophe!
Yet, how many people in our world live this way each and every day of their lives? I had immediate images of women in Africas Sahel walking kilometres a day while balancing huge pots of precious water drawn from a communal well on their heads.
All-New 2009 Dodge Journey Mid-Size Crossover Provides Room to Grow
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Dodge designers and engineers have answered the needs of the global passenger car market, as well as the needs of individual drivers, and delivered the all-new Dodge Journey: a global vehicle that meets life's changing demands by offering a unique combination of versatility and flexibility in a sporty, sexy package. With a starting U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $19,985 (including $625 destination), this all-new vehicle takes the capability of a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) and the overall efficiency of a passenger car and blends all the best attributes of each into an all-new "right-sized" crossover for the Dodge brand. "The all-new Dodge Journey gives our customers the complete package," said Steven Landry, Executive Vice President - Sales, Chrysler LLC.
I Was a Progression Requirement Pusher
Students must obtain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 to graduate from my university. Sort of. In reality most students have to obtain a higher GPA for admission into a particular major. This second admissions hurdle is as important as gaining entrance into the university. Known often as a "progression requirement," it is one of the dirty little secrets in academe. .
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