My Halloween Costume is Scarier

For this Halloween, I’m going dressed as the scariest monster in the roughly half-billion year history of multicellular life on this planet. I’m not including a picture of the costume. I’ll leave that to the imagination of the reader.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Bike to Work in Your SUV? — Unfortunately, Not Really Humor

SUV with built-in stationary bike: It’s like biking to work, except stupid as hell

Big Oil Creates a Hybrid!

Found on the Union of Concerned Scientists site on this page

From the too true to be good department again.

100+ Years of Electric Cars

Here are some seriously classic fully electric cars from over 100 years ago.

7 Electric Cars Over 100 Years Old

So:

• 1891 – 50 mile range, better than Chevy Volt’s pure electric range
• 1901 – 57 MPH
• 1902 – fully electric bus
• 1906 – regenerative braking, like my 2011 prius
• 1909 – 100 miles on a charge

Now, I must ask, what the hell happened?

Be Terrified … of a drive to the mall (MoJo Article:Fear, Inc.)

OK. I must admit that I find the thought of going to a mall a little terrifying. However, this is not what the article is really talking about. Or is it?

Comparing some of the statistics in the article to the number of deaths by terrorism since 9/11/2001 is a little silly. Let’s include 9/11. And, still, look at how many of the following beat out the 3,000 deaths from that date. Actually, more accurate mathematically would be to average some number of years including 9/11. I wonder how the statistics would look if we totaled them for the last 25 years, for example. This would include both terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Welcome to the NYC Free Subway System

Here’s an interesting plan to solve two of New York City’s current problems in one fell swoop. First, the subway would be free, at least during off peak hours, and possibly ultimately around the clock. Second, vehicular traffic into the city would be expensive. This new Kheel plan from a long term veteran of conflict resolution promises a wonderful solution to the problems of a transit system in financial crisis and a city clogged with traffic.

Being the pessimist that I am, and looking at what happened to the Bloomberg plan for congestion pricing, I don’t really have much hope for this. However, this just might be exactly what New York needs.

Kheel Plan 2 Seeks to Plug MTA Budget Gap

For the full Kheel plan in PDF as well as an overview of the Theodore W. Kheel’s awe inspiring credentials, click below.

The Full Kheel Plan

Thanks to my wife for a great find.

Israeli Electric Cars

Good news!! At least someone is thinking about global warming and actually taking some action. Israel is planning to aggressively replace gasoline burners with electric cars. And, they’re even openly making the obvious statement that the oil economy is funding terrorism, making it doubly important to Israel to get off the gasoline. Now, if only Israel’s greatest ally and world leader in carbon emissions would follow suit. Check out these two articles from that liberal rag, Business Week.

The Electric Car Acid Test

Israel: Cradle of the Electric Car

AAA is Pure Evil

First, I must make something clear. The AAA to which I refer in this article as pure evil is the AAA formerly known as the American Automobile Association. I have no problem with the good folks at the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, a group whose members are nice enough to come to Hayden Planetarium lectures on clear nights with their own telescopes and allow people to look at the stars. Please assume all references to AAA going forward refer to the former American Automobile Association, known simply as AAA now.

If you are a member of AAA, please answer for yourself whether you joined for roadside assistance and travel services or whether you joined to become part of a powerful lobbying organization. I’m going to assume the former. If I am incorrect, please reply and let me know that there truly are grass roots members of the AAA that intended to further the causes lobbied for by the AAA in your name.

Second, I’m going to assume that the vast majority of AAA members, when asked the generic, “what are you?” will likely NOT respond with the first thought, “I am a motorist.” Yet, that is precisely how AAA claims you would respond. They would also claim that as a motorist, you want certain things. And, they will lobby for those. Check that list carefully and see whether you are OK with AAA lobbying using your name as one of its many members, the largest grass roots organization in the country.

Third, you have a choice. There is a better roadside assistance club. Read on please.

Dare to Cruise

I’m always on a kick to try to convince people to use cruise control whenever possible. Cruise control provides many benefits that I will list below. However, my main reason for being a cruise control advocate is that it really pisses me off when others on the road do not maintain a constant speed. They pass me then get over and slow down. I pass them back they do the same again. We go up a hill and everyone on the road slows down. We go down a hill and everyone races.

I don’t care how good a driver you are. I don’t care how much you think you watch your speedometer. There is no way you will ever maintain a more constant speed with your foot than a little cruise control bot can. It doesn’t get bored. It’s mind doesn’t wander. It doesn’t have to do the far more important job of watching the rest of the road to avoid hitting anything. That little cruisebot just sits there all damn day watching the speedometer and making corrections. Please let it do its job.