Greg In The Desert

• FrugalMechanic Gets A Tune-Up With A New Round Of Funding – FrugalMechanic, like a Froogle for auto parts, has gained a niche following of mechanics and consumers as a nifty price comparison tool in the auto market. Founded in July of 2008, the site doubled traffic from December 2008 to January 2009 and boasts over 5 million auto parts from 50 retailers. In an economy where everyone is looking for a deal, FrugalMechanic’s growth isn’t surprising. And when cash and credit are tight, consumers may be looking to repair cars with new auto parts instead of buying new cars.
• Intel CEO On Plan To Invest $7 Billion In U.S. : NPR – (audio interview) Intel CEO Paul Otellini traveled to Washington today to announce a $7 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing plants. Otellini talks about this investment, the role the private sector can play in ending the recession, and what he thinks about the stimulus package currently in Congress.
• Intel CEO supports stimulus plan – Eamon Javers – Politico.com – So grateful was the president for this bit of private-sector economic stimulus that he called Otellini at his hotel room to congratulate him. And he took advantage of the call to do a little lobbying, asking for Otellini’s support in the debate over the economic stimulus package.

  In a conversation after his announcement, Otellini told Politico that he generally supports the president’s economic stimulus plans.

As an American, my tax dollars are paying for the National Weather Service and all the data it collects. Weather data companies, like AccuWeather, would like me to pay them to get it.. A bill before congress is set to require that I pay this service twice. Unsurprisingly, there is something fishy going on.

Two days before Sen. Rick Santorum introduced a bill that critics say would restrict the National Weather Service, his political action committee received a $2,000 donation from the chief executive of AccuWeather Inc., a leading provider of weather data.

The disclosure has renewed criticism of the measure, which Santorum, R-Pa., maintains would allow the weather service to better focus on its core mission of getting threatening weather info out in a “timely and speedy basis.”

Opponents say the bill would endanger the public by preventing the dissemination of certain weather data, and force taxpayers to pay for the data twice. The bill would prevent the weather service from competing for certain services offered by the private sector.