The most spectacular Lamborghini ever

:Frankfurt supercar: Lamborghini Reventón Roadster

• You have to envy Lamborghini's President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. With chiselled good looks - like his company's cars - and the opportunity to drive them whenever he wants, he's got a dream job.
• His role at the Volkswagen Group pre-show event included driving this spectacular 1.1-million Euro Reventón Roadster onto the stage before two stunning models took their places alongside like sentries over the angular 205mph machine. Like its coupé relative the open-air Reventón is based on the Murcielago, though with a built number of just 15 it makes its relative look positively common in comparison.
• What's all the fuss about?
• The Reventón Roadster not only makes its Murcielago relative look common, but dull too.
• And it takes a very special car to do that. With more angles than a protractor the Reventón Roadster is a riot of converging lines that wouldn't look out of place on a stealth fighter jet, the Lambo's performance and price not far off a fighter plane's either.
• To park this alongside your Reventón coupé you'll need a spare 1.1 million Euros (before local taxes), which gets you perhaps the world's most exclusive roadster.
• That alone is enough to ensure that a few billionaires step up and put down a deposit - all the coupés selling within a few hours of Lamborghini announcing it two years ago in Frankfurt.
• Any new technology?
• You really won't care about technology when you see it, the Reventón Roadster quite the most eye-catching machine we've ever set eyes on. Power comes from a 670bhp 6.5-litre V12 engine that drives through a four-wheel drive system. All that grip and grunt equate to a 0-62mph time of just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 205mph.
• The structure is already so stiff that Lamborghini claims a weight increase of just 25kg over the coupé.
• When can I buy one?
• Right now, but you'll have to be quick, as even in these tough economic times it's likely wealthy Lamborghini fans will be on the phone to the factory.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Top mortgage deals for first-time buyers - UK

• There's a lot of positive news out there for first-time buyers, but mortgages for borrowers with small deposits are still thin on the ground.
• A raft of positive housing market statistics have been released in the last couple of weeks and have been very welcome indeed.
• Whether you think we are starting to see the first green shoots of recovery, or if you believe we are simply experiencing a temporary uplift before things turn bad again, it's an improvement nonetheless.
• And first-time buyers in particular seem to be shaking off the recessionary shackles and embarking on buying homes in significantly greater numbers, albeit still a fraction of the pre-crunch figures.
• But are the mortgage lenders doing their bit to help first-time buyers and launching more high loan-to-value products for those with small deposits? Or is it the case that they still favour low-risk remortgagors, and don't want, or need, to pander to the rest of us?
• Proof positive?
• First, the good news.
• Most housing market indices and statistics are looking pretty positive at the moment. Just this week The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said that more of its members reported house price rises than falls for the first time in two years, with members in the south of England feeling particularly bullish.
• Plus the Department of Communities and Local Government said that average prices in July were 1.4% higher than in June (though still down 8.3% year on year). The quarterly figures also showed a rise of 2.1%.
• Halifax's latest house price index adds fuel to the rising property price fire, showing prices have increased by 0.8% in August - the fourth rise in the first eight months of 2009. It also said that prices have been pretty much unchanged over 2009 as a whole.
• Finally it's not just prices on the up: the number of house purchases is also rising. Bank of England figures show that the number of mortgages approved to finance house purchase - a leading indicator of completed house sales - increased for the sixth month on the trot in July. Approvals were 53% higher than in July 2008, at 50,123.
• However gloomy you feel about the housing market and its prospects, these figures must offer some comfort. Of course, it's been argued that the lack of housing on the market has been keeping prices high (maybe artificially high), but even RICS' latest report showed an increase in housing stock.
• The return of the first-time buyer!
• The general feeling of cheer is even more pronounced in the first-time buyer (FTB) sector with latest figures looking more positive than they have done for some time.
• More mortgages being lent to FTBs: The Financial Services Authority released figures this week that noted a significant rise in new mortgages to first-time buyers from about £3bn in Q1 2009 to £5bn in Q2 2009.
• FTB numbers rising fast year-on-year: Plus recent Council of Mortgage Lenders figures showed that there were 20,400 first-time buyer loans in July, up 18% on June. And, compared with a year earlier, the rise in first-time buyer numbers was up 22%.
• Mortgages costing FTBs less: Nationally, typical mortgage payments for a new borrower have fallen from a peak of 48% of average disposable earnings in 2007 Quarter 3 to 29% in August 2009. Notably, mortgage payments relative to earnings are now below the long-term average of 35% recorded over the past 25 years.
• Estate agents seeing more FTBs: The National Association of Estate Agents has also noted an increase in first-time buyers in its August Housing Trends report. It says that the percentage of first-time buyers increased from 22% of all buyers in July to 36% in August.
• It also noted that comparison with 12 months ago shows the extent of the resurgence of first-time buyers - percentage wise four times as many sales were made to FTBs this August than in August 2008.
• Top deals for FTBs?
• Unfortunately the rise in demand and transactions from first-time buyers is not being matched by many more high loan-to-value mortgages being made available.
• The average first-time buyer loan-to-value ratio is now 75% according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, down from 86% a year ago. This shows that those who do step onto the ladder have needed to find a lot more money upfront to do so - 25% of the property's value. The average first-time buyer income multiple has also dropped from 3.27 to 3.02 times their income.
• And according to lovemoney.com partner Moneyfacts, although the number of residential mortgages available is slowly increasing, the market is still dominated by deals for customers with more than a 25% deposit.
• But the number of 90% LTV deals is increasing, slowly. Moneyfacts says that number bottomed out in May this year at 71 but there are now 106 90% mortgages on the market.
• That said this figures is well below the 492 which were available last September.
• It also makes the point that these high LTV deals are much more expensive than mortgages for those with a large amount of equity. The best deal on offer for a borrower with just a 10% deposit is currently 2% higher than that available to those with a 40% deposit, adding £170 per month to the cost of a £150,000 mortgage.
• But if you look hard enough, there are a few decent 90% mortgages around - and here are some of my favourites. The first table lists mortgages up to 90% LTV and the second has products for those who have more than 10% upfront but less than the 25% needed to get a really competitive mortgage deal.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Pop star inherits Michael Jackson's shoes

:Mika inherits Jackson's shoes

• Pop star Mika has been handed Michael Jackson's shoe collection by designer Christian Louboutin - as payback for saving the stylist from a fight with Robert De Niro.
• The Lebanese born singer has inherited designer footwear the late King of Pop was planning to sport onstage during his This Is It comeback shows at London's O2 Arena this year.
• Jackson hired Louboutin to fashion his shoes for the gigs, and after his sudden death in June, Mika's designer friend gave him the collection.
• The Grace Kelly hitmaker says, "Christian Louboutin designed all Michael Jackson's shoes that he was supposed to be wearing for the O2 concerts. So when he died, Christian asked if I wanted them for my tour.
• "They are amazing. One is a black soft leather lace-up which goes up the ankle to support Michael while he was dancing. Then there is the pair which must have been made for him to moonwalk in. They are gold with a metal toe and the soles are really smooth and slippy to make it easy to moonwalk in. I think they are the only pair I might not wear.
• "It's a little freaky to think he'd have worn those to do the moonwalk in. Then again, who knows, it might give me some magic power to help me dance rather than just jumping around the stage like an idiot."
• And the star insists his pal's generous offer may be payback for saving him from a boozy brawl with Hollywood star De Niro: "Christian is a great friend of mine, but I had to stop him from being sorted out by Robert De Niro once.
• "We went back to a house party after the Oscars and Christian was so drunk he stepped on Robert's girlfriend's dress and ripped it right the way up the back. Robert and these security guys were furious - I could see them glaring at Christian. So I grabbed Christian and said 'Yes, he's an a**hole', and threw him into a cab before they beat him up. It was insane."

:Mika inherits Jackson's shoes



















By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Thousands protest over Obama health reform

• Tens of thousands of people angry over government spending have marched from the White House to Capitol Hill in Washington to protest against Barack Obama's healthcare reforms.
• The demonstrations came as the US president sought to boost support for his plans during a Minneapolis rally.
• Addressing a crowd of 15,000, Mr Obama said he refused to accept no change on his top domestic priority.
• "I will not accept the status quo. Not this time. Not now," the president said.
• He is attempting to boost momentum for his chief domestic priority, to overhaul the $2.5 trillion medical care system.
• Days after urging Democrats and Republicans in Congress to come together, an invigorated Obama said his plan incorporated ideas from those on both sides and he promised to continue to seek common ground.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Carter: Barack Obama is victim of racism

• Ex-US President Jimmy Carter has said outbursts against Barack Obama may be motivated by racism.
• Mr Carter spoke out after Republican Congressman Joe Wilson was formally rebuked for shouting "You lie!" during the president's speech to Congress last Wednesday.
• He said the outburst was a part of a disturbing trend directed at the president that has included demonstrators equating Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler.
• Mr Carter told a town hall meeting in Atlanta: "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president."
• He added: "You wouldn't hear one of those members of the British parliament saying that about the Queen of England, who's the head of state.
• "In our country it's different. The president is not only the head of a government he's also the head of state and no matter who he is or how much you disagree with his policies, he ought to be treated with respect in an official forum like a joint session of the US Congress."
• Mr Wilson's shout of disbelief came after the president said illegal aliens would be ineligible for federal subsidies to buy health insurance.
• Tuesday's rebuke in the House was a rare resolution of disapproval pushed through by Democrats who insisted that Wilson had violated basic rules of decorum and civility.
• It was the first time in the 220-year history of the House that a member was admonished for speaking out while the president was giving an address.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

Elephant 'assaults' woman at zoo

:SKorean police to investigate zoo assault

• South Korean police, in one of their more heavyweight cases, are investigating whether a zoo elephant threw a stone at a woman visitor.
• The woman surnamed Kim told police she was visiting the zoo at the Children?s Grand Park in southeast Seoul on Monday when she noticed an elephant picking up a stone with its trunk.
• After she turned away from 35-year-old Taesani, she was hit on the back of her head by a large stone, several newspapers reported.
• She reported the incident to police in Gwangjin district who began an investigation. They found that the scene of the alleged assault was out of range of security cameras.
• "Though Ms Kim believes the elephant threw a stone at her, it?s hard to conclude that the elephant attacked her since there are neither witnesses nor evidence," Dong-A Ilbo newspaper quoted a police source as saying.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com

The end of speeding?

:Speed cameras divide opinion, but what if you weren’t able to speed in the first place? Is speed curbing the future?

• What's the big idea?Speed curbing - also known as intelligent speed assistance/adaptation (ISA) - is the concept of making the car, not the driver, responsible for sticking to the speed limit.
• Cars fitted with an ISA device would prevent the driver from accelerating beyond the maximum permitted speed limit in any given area.There are three technologies that can enable ISA.
• The first is GPS (global positioning system). Like in-car navigation systems, this uses signals from orbiting satellites to triangulate the car’s position.
• This position is then compared with an onboard map which contains speed limit data for all roads to determine the maximum permissible speed.
• Another idea is that roadside signs could contain small transmitters which broadcast data about the speed limit and other traffic conditions in the area.
• A receiver in the car would pick up this information and prevent the vehicle from travelling faster.Then there’s optical road sign recognition. A camera in the car reads signs at the side of the road. The onboard computer remembers the last sign read and prevents the car from travelling beyond the assigned speed.T
• hese technologies can also be complemented by dead reckoning – a technology that is already used as a failsafe device on some high-end in-car navigation systems. This estimates the car’s current position by comparing the last known position to the subsequent steering input and wheel rotation.
• Britain’s first experimental ISA scheme is being carried out by Transport for London (TfL) the authority responsible for the capital’s tubes, trains, buses and transport infrastructure. Currently three vehicles; a car, a bus and a black cab, have been fitted with GPS-based ISA systems. But the trial is to be extended to more than 20 vehicles.The TfL system, developed in conjunction with Dutch technology firm Technolution, operates in two modes: 'advisory ' and 'voluntary'.
• In the first of these modes an icon on the dashboard smiles when the car is travelling within the current speed limit, but it frowns if the car exceeds the speed limit.
• The driver is still able to break the speed limit. But in 'voluntary ' mode, computer control takes over, limiting the speed if the driver tries to exceed the limit, and progressively slowing down when a speed limit decreases.It's the 'voluntary ' mode that has caused concern among some motoring organisations.
• But even the 'advisory ' mode is believed to contribute to road safety. TfL hopes the scheme will stimulate commercial development of ISA devices. The trial units cost £400,000 to develop and it cost a further £220,000 to compile the database of all speed limits within London’s M25 orbital motorway.
• This data has been made available to manufacturers of GPS navigation devices for use in their systems.
• Arguments forIncreased safety. If all cars stayed within the speed limit, there would be fewer accidents. A Leeds University study estimates that even 'advisory ' ISA systems could cut collisions by 10 per cent. Without having to worry about speed limits, drivers can concentrate more clearly on the road ahead.Eliminates mistakes.
• Who hasn’t driven at 40 mph in a 30 mph zone because they missed the sign showing the lower speed limit? A 'voluntary ' ISA system would mean that you always know what the speed limit is.
• An 'advisory ' ISA system would ensure that you never break the speed limit. So you wouldn’t have to worry about points on your licence and speeding fines.Better fuel economy.
• The current system of speed limits and enforcement cameras has led to a speed-up-and-brake style of driving where cars are constantly braking and accelerating. By anticipating speed limit changes, and adjusting the speed accordingly, ISA systems save energy that is usually lost to braking.
• Arguments againstIncreased cost. It's estimated that ISA systems would add around £500 to the purchase price of a new vehicle. And what of all the existing cars on the road? Would it be made compulsory to fit after-market ISA systems to existing vehicles.Decreased safety. There are occasions when one needs to accelerate to get out of danger, when merging onto the motorway for instance, or when trying to get out of the blind spot of a vehicle merging from the left.
• If you are already driving at the speed limit, a 'voluntary ' ISA system would prevent you from accelerating out of danger.Erosion of liberty.
• If human beings are stripped of personal responsibility for their actions they feel that their liberty has been eroded. Rather than being drivers, might we become passengers, driven around by a big brother state? And what if the technology goes wrong? GPS signals cannot always be received under bridges and in tunnels.
• While optical sign recognition technology is very much in its infancy and may not pick up signs that have been vandalised or obscured by overhanging branches.

By www.MICHAELJACKSON50.com