Sudbury, Home of the Prius!

From CNW: A now defunct research group. They got popular reporting this stuff. No, I don't think they are that reputable, but this quote is very funny.

"But it's not just the clouds of greenhouse gases generated by all that smelting, refining, manufacturing and transporting that worries green activists. The 1,250-foot-tall smokestack that spews huge puffs of sulphur dioxide at the Sudbury mine and smelter operation has left a large swath of the surrounding area looking like a surrealistic scene from the depths of hell."

And now a quick quote from Moonbattery...

"[some people] are under this impression that cars run on magic, yet when you step back, cars have not changed much in over 100 years."

Wait... It doesn't run using magical powers?

Hybrid Electric Fun

As I strolled the automobile graveyard last weekend one thing occurred to me... where are all the electric cars?

Yes, I know that 2001 was really the first year for a production model to come out and granted, most of the cars in there were from the last century's last decade (i.e. the '90s). But it gets you thinking. In 5-10 years are we to see more old hybrids in the junk yard? and if so, can you "pick and pull". Would it even be safe?

The quick and dirty answer here is "NO". While you may see them in the junk yard, you will not see them picked from other then for body parts. A replacement battery for an electric car will run you (new) about $3,500. Yes, that's probably not news. But that is the equivalent to 7 (count them, seven) running 1988 Camaro's. Getting a mechanic to install it, if you can find one, will run you around $900 (according to Newsweek). You're probably thinking, "maybe, if I could get one on eBay, or possibly one slightly used?" Yes, you can. But that doesn't change the cost of install or, for heavens sake, just the shear weight of the thing (150-400 lbs.). How would you ship that if you sold it on eBay again? And how do you even know how much juice is left.

On the actual manufacture of the battery (see; I'm in manufacturing, this interests me). Prius has a battery that includes Nickel. Nickel mined from Ontario, Canada. From one of the most polluted mines on earth. NASA does test lunar landings there for Christ's sake. From there it goes to China to get put together. From there to Japan. From there to here. How is that more environmentally friendly then say a semi truck? 20 years old? From Mexico? Answer is; It's not. My conscience in my head is telling me it will be done better in the future, and cheaper. Yes, little voice in my head, I am listening. But, until batteries get better engineering, and use components not yet discovered. Anyone buying a Electric car right now with the promise of a better future is burning my britches. If GM and Ford jump feet first into this like they did with SUV's and loose everything, then my hands are clean. I've spoken my peace.

You will probably see some of these in junk yards near you soon, but you will not see anyone picking from them. You will probably see them for sale on the side of the road soon or on Craigslist for $500 soon just like any other car, but these will have a disclaimer: "$500 OBO, only needs new battery!!"

Yeah, I'll pass on that.

Tid-Bit

Here is something I wouldn't have expected from the site Gamers With Jobs. It was written by Lara Crigger and brightened up my day.

"The longer I reside in New York, the thicker and more aggressive my Southern accent has become, congealing into a soupy, lazy drawl, punctuated by the occasional "y'all" and "ain't." I listen to bluegrass now and wave to complete strangers, and I lust after collard greens with primal urgency. King of the Hill makes me giggle. William Faulkner makes me cry. And when the nights get sticky and hot, and the frogs sing just outside our windowpanes, I become so desperately, achingly homesick I fear my heart will burst.

Of course, when I actually lived below the Mason-Dixon, I sneered at fiddles and considered collards to be vestigially racist, like blackface and the word "colored." Never would I ever have been caught dead dropping the word "ain't" in polite conversation.

But the longer I'm away from home and the culture I grew up with, the more I've come to embrace it, even—especially—its most minute or once embarrassing characteristics. I've taken my memories and inflated them to staggering proportions, with the subconscious hope that if I exaggerate them just enough, maybe, just maybe, I won't forget the South—and the South won't forget me."

Well said.

Pick Pull and Take

Sunday Notes in August

Just looking to log some notes on this beautiful Sunday Ohio morning.

First off we have news from the Columbus Dispatch. Tax issues are coming up to vote this week. The city of Columbus currently has a 2.0% city tax rate. It is difficult to say where this falls in the larger picture. Cities, Counties and States have different ways of looking at the same thing. From what I can tell though, there are many cities that don't have a tax and those that charge quite a bit. Regardless, some of the city leaders (see; The Mayor) are proposing a .5% increase. Seems harmless enough. People are making less, city has less money. A .5% increase is 25% tax increase. Quite the leap if you look at it that way. Others, would prefer to look at it this way... if you are paying $200 a year now, next year will be paying $50 dollars more. See how little! Hell, that only .14 cents a day! See! no big woop! Wait... you only pay $200 if you are making $10k a year? oh, well how much would someone or a household making between $50k and 70k pay more a year $250 more on top of the $1000 we already pay. Burns me up a little. And that's just to live in Columbus.

So why does the city need the extra cashola. Well, like i mentioned. People are making less so they have less. But let us look at what the city was making and spending in 2004 - $540 Million. Which was about the actual revenue of the city. What about last year? $640 million. That's correct. The city, in the course of 3 years increased it's spending by $100 million dollars. 20% increase in three years. To be fair however, revenues where going up almost at the same rate (of course the city always spending, just a little more per year). So what is the expected revenue for the city this year? $583k, back to about '06 levels. Still almost $80 million more then what it was in '03. Very good growth for the city this decade. But, with the city spending what they where getting every year they are now in a pickle... about $50 million over budget. Instead of cutting back un-necessary city functions, the city is threatening cutting back police and fire jobs. Please insert ridiculous commercials with broken windows and kids on the streets with guns. "My gosh, how ever did we make it waaaaaay back in 2006 with this amount of revenue!".

I went long on that one... So this one will be quick. A city just south of me called Grove City has cut after school athletics. A vote was put up earlier this year for higher tax and the proponents for it threatened cutting sports. It got voted down. They cut sports. This is happening in a few other cities around here as well. Has anyone else ever heard of this? It is strange. No HS football, basketball? It is strange. Anyway, the vote is up again this week. What is the culprit for that cities woes? A 66% increase in what is going out to teachers since 1995.


Ok, so off taxes for now. An update on, what is now called, "Wendy" my ride I got last week for (a song) my girlfriend (yes, named for Springsteen's song). She is doing well. Tie rods got fixed holding the driver side wheel in place. Door closes now and I got the previous owners junk out of it (including, what must have been a massive amp because the wires I pulled looked like they powered a small town). She's still got a acceleration problem, needs break pressure, but she will drive. Audrea and I tooled around a couple junk yards yesterday looking for nik-nak cosmetic stuff. We didn't find much except a completely ripped apart mid nineties Mustang which made her happy. Camaro folks dislike them with a passion. She 'booooo's' each passing Mustang.

Lastly, staying with my girlfriend. Last week she got me a great gift that I'll have around forever.

Plenty of space on there for more Super Bowl championships!

More Madden 10 and You

The more I get to thinking about this years Madden I think I get more worried. I am, by no means, a Madden expert. I hadn't picked up a Madden title between the years of 1994 and 2008. That's a pretty good - long time. 2008 was terrible. Even for a casual player, like myself. Fumbles everywhere. Fancy menus, but no features. It was strange. Last year I picked up the 20th anniversary edition. I was impressed with it. But still, as many like to mention, STILL behind a game that came out 4 years previous called 2k5. I loved 2k5. For all the folks out there saying it was / is a better game then any Madden, I have to say you are correct.

Electronic Arts is Big Business. 2007 and 08 Madden where HD showcases on a new system. Nothing more. Gameplay was terrible. Last year, I felt that things where dialed in a little bit. It was a pretty good game, but still had some of the frustrating quarks that 08 had. In fact, that almost all Madden's have had.

I guess the reason I'm spending the time to write another post on this is that with previous HD versions the Madden hype has been bad. All bad even before the release. But this year? All seems to be good. It's interesting to me to take a moment and record that this is the case.

We'll see if the game is up to snuff.

John Madden 10

It's very confusing. Madden video games have been around since, well, a long time. I purchased the XX anniversary edition last year. I guess just saying '10' keeps it simple. Well, other then the fact it is only half way through 09.

All that aside (an no EA/Evil Empire stuff here), a new Madden game is only a couple weeks away and I actually think I will be getting it again this year. That's three years in a row now. Ridiculous? maybe. But I have a couple reasons for doing so. 1st off is, I love football season. I signals fall, it connects me to my past (family is big Redskins fans) and also... I won my fantasy football league last year using Madden as a tool to victory. The previous year? Well, last place of course. It was fun last year as I made it to the top of the heap against fellow co-workers and friends. It meant something to me as I stuck with players I root for and denied trades for better players with questionable character (this tactic was used the previous year. It led to last place, and no one taking my team seriously). How did I get off on this tangent?

Anyway. I'm thinking of trying to scrounge up an online league this year with Madden. Reading up all I can on it. I actually pretty excited about it. Last years game was a huge step up from the previous year. It's almost up to 2k5 level. I'm thinking the game will be even better this year. Hope it works out.

1988 update

The 88 Camaro is on it's way to being drivable. But before it is I have to update the type of car it actually is.

2.8L V6 MPI OHV Sport Coupe. Not the IROC I mentioned earlier. Too bad. Anyway, the CarFax has been done and she's all clean! (always good news for a 21 year old car).

1988

Ah, the year. 1988. The year of 8-8-88. Middle school. Also, as it just so happens, the year of my new car! That's right. A not-so precious 1988 IROC-Z Camaro base model V-6 manual is in my possession. For a while now I've been obsessing over getting an old car and now it has finally happened. Well, in actuality, it is for the sweetest lady I've ever known, BUT she can't drive manual yet, sooooo... I got it for a song. Alas, however, a song is all it is worth (well, worth maybe a PS3 and a couple games, I'll put that purchase off for a bit).

The goal is to turn this ogre...



Into a princess...


Okay, well... that's the goal. Get on your short jean shorts, grow yer mullet, rip off your t-shirt sleeves, and crank up the Styx. It's a Camaro!

I'll leave with this...


And...