9/30    Tesla Model S earned 5.4 stars on the NHTSA's 5-star safety test.
        http://www.csua.org/u/11bw (theweek.com)
        The only problem is that it's so expensive.
        \_ I am buying one. -dotcom millionaire

7/23    Cities safer than suburbs:
        http://preview.tinyurl.com/m4lxcyk
        \_ they are not accounting for the dangers of exposing our kids to
           diversity and gay people.
        \_ And the future to boot:
           http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/opinion/19krugman.html

7/22    "George Zimmerman Emerged From Hiding for Truck Crash Rescue"
        http://www.csua.org/u/10qi (gma.yahoo.com)
        The auto accident was staged by Zimmermand and his lawyer, I'm sure. :)

6/21    Nothing to see here, move along:
        (Jounalist investigating NSA/FBI dies in a suspicious car accident):
        http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/hastings-crash-witness-113514329.html
        \_ Nothing to see here, move along.

5/14    Think you can "only" afford a used Toyota?
        http://www.csua.org/u/105v (autos.yahoo.com)

5/6     http://goo.gl/KiIMT (shortened link from http://HP.com)
        seems like I get these every 6 months or so from HP.  Do all drives
         have these kind of issues and I only see the ones from HP because
         they are diligent about reporting/fixing these issues?  Or do they
         suck?   (It's not actually their drives so...)  Also, do I really
         need to bring down my production infrastructure and fix all this
         or is "rare" sufficiently rare (or sufficiently harmless) that I
         can ignore it?   -advice needed.  tnx.
         \_ no raid? can't update 1 at a time?

5/6     http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay/?spf_p.tpst=kbDocDisplay&spf_p.prp_kbDocDisplay=wsrp-navigationalState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c03747345-1%257CdocLocale%253D%257CcalledBy%253D&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken
        \_ seems like I get these every 6 months or so from HP.  Do all drives
           have these kind of issues and I only see the ones from HP because
           they are diligent about reporting/fixing these issues?  Or do they
           suck?   (It's not actually their drives so...)  Also, do I really
           need to bring down my production infrastructure and fix all this
           or is "rare" sufficiently rare (or sufficiently harmless) that I
           can ignore it?   -advice needed.  tnx.

4/11    "Parents hope photo of fatal text serves as warning"
        http://news.yahoo.com/parents-hope-photo-fatal-text-203757749.html
        I'm happy that this guy was promptly removed from the society without
        taking anyone innocent, especially that oncoming driver, along with
        him.
        \_ Gee, I just saw a parent texting driver at my kid's school an hour
           ago.  I actually took the liberty to yell at the driver "No
           texting!  Stop using your cell phone!"  -- OP

1/9     A Jeep limo, in the other orientation: http://www.csua.org/u/yv9

12/21   Is it possible to use my Fastrak on a rental car?
        \_ Don't know if you're supposed to, but I think it works under normal
           situation (i.e. you're not speeding, your windshield doesn't block
           the signal, etc.)  The problem is that if the reception is bad and
           the toll tag doesn't beep, the booth will take a picture of your
           rental's license plate and fine the rental company because the
           vehicle is in violation.  Then the rental company will make you
           pay.
           pay the toll plus the penalty.
        \_ I have done it plenty of times. -ausman

11/21   The ultimate mobile office: http://www.csua.org/u/yg7
        I hope this guy gets into a solo accident and kills himself before he
        injures anyone else.

10/15   A stock, unmodified, Toyota Tundra towing the Endeavour to its final
        home: http://www.csua.org/u/xyw (http://www.space.com

7/29    Is it really true that we subsidize auto driving to the tune of
        $5k/yr? Shit I could probably hire a private driver for less...
        http://tinyurl.com/cars-suck-ass
        \_ You might have missed the point.  Hiring a chauffeur to drive your
           private vehicle won't change the amount of gasoline your private
           vehicle use or the amount of real estate it uses on freeways and
           vehicle use or the amount of real estate on freeways and
           parking lots it takes up for transporting you.  So it won't change
           the situation.  The chaffeur only adds to the non-subsidized part
           of the cost.
           \_ Okay I could hire a bicyle rickshaw driver for less then..
              \_ or live in a sustainable, walkable city with much lower
                 energy requirements, like the rest of the world.
                 \_ ... and hire a rickshaw driver to take me everywhere.
                    Like the rest of the (undeveloped) world.
                    \_ or ride bike like a well developed world (Denmark)
                       or slow down to reduce energy needs:
                       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUU6DJwkoyQ
                       (georgeous women alert)
                       \_ NSFW.  Anyway, the one not being interviewed is hot!
                 \_ Our cities were built around the auto, not trains or
                    walking. Most of the First World's large cities are very
                    dense with almost nothing a few miles outside of them.
                    That's not us. What you are suggesting is building up
                    the urban cores of our cities and convincing people to
                    move back to them. This may happen, but it's not
                    something we can force. In the end, the populace will
                    decide. So far, even though your idea has some
                    traction, most Americans dislike the idea.
                    \_ Agreed.  The following quote from the article best
                       summarizes the reason: "They are making the correct
                       economic decision, but not in a free-market economy."
                       \_ How much do other countries subsidize automobiles?
                          How much do other countries subsidize other
                          forms of transit?
                          Why is it better that long-distance automotive
                          commuting become "the exclusive privilege of the
                          wealthy?"
                          I don't know the answer to the first two
                          relative to the US and I view the third as a question
                          of liberty and equality. I also think that it has
                          less to do with subsidies than with personal
                          preference and the age of the nations involved.
                          Americans *don't mind* paying higher property tax
                          if it means they don't have to take a train and
                          the alternatives don't make sense for the way our
                          cities evolved. We can tax the hell out of gas
                          to force everyone to take mass transit, but *WHY*?
                          \_ Where do you live where people "don't mind"
                             paying higher property taxes? Here in CA they
                             passed Prop 13. If we can enourage more people
                             to take mass transit, we will gain lots of
                             advantages:
                             1) Far fewer highway and roadway deaths
                             2) Cleaner air leading to a healthier
                                population and fewer deaths due to pollution
                             3) Healthier and skinnier population due to
                                more exercise
                             4) Trade balance would be much better: the only
                                reason we run a trade deficit today is due
                                to imported oil, most of which goes to transit.
                             5) No US money going to oil shieks, most of whom
                                hate us and finance terrorism
                             6) No need to fight oil wars in the Middle East,
                                saving us lots of money and lives
                             7) Less congestion on the freeways, meaning buses
                                and trucks will be more efficient
                             8) Shorter commutes will mean less stress and
                                quality of life will go up for most people.
                             9) Less land being used for roadways and parking
                                should free up more land for housing, making
                                housing cost less, especially in urban core.
                            10) Fewer suburban homes mean less money wasted
                            10) Fewer suburban homes mean less money spent
                                on running power lines, cable, sewer lines,
                                etc on spread out homes.
                             I am sure I am missing a few things here, but that
                             should be a good start.
                             \_ The huge fire at the Chevron refinery in
                                Richmond today can certainly make the list.
                                More public transit -> less gas consumption ->
                                fewer oil refineries -> fewer accidents and
                                less toxic fume.
                             \_ More productive time spent when on public
                                transit instead of driving.  One can get work
                                done using laptops, read a novel, or surf the
                                web and catch up with the latest gossip while
                                done using a laptop, read a novel, or surf the
                                web and catch up on the latest gossip while
                                sitting on public transit instead of
                                controlling your car and paying attention to
                                the road.  3G/4G coverage is wide, and there
                                is free WiFi on Google shuttles (I heard) and
                                AC-Transit Transbay Buses.  BART also provides
                                WiFi (paid) and 3G even in underground stations
                                and tunnels.
                             \_ I think you should not confuse the public
                                vs. private issue with the gasoline issue.
                                If cars were powered by a clean, renewable,
                                cheap resource would that mean you still want
                                to force people to use public transit?
                                \_ No one is arguing for force to be used, we
                                   are just sick and tired of having to use
                                   our taxpayer dollars to encourage stupid
                                   behavior. If cars were not polluting, safe,
                                   and did not cause congestion, then they would
                                   be great. Where are those flying nuclear
                                   powered cars we were promised?
                             \_ Great.  I'm convinced.  Sign me up.  Now where
                                is the effective mass transit system that I
                                can use to replace my car?  I can get from home
                                to my office in 28 minutes in my car, but it
                                would take over an hour and a half by bus
                                (each direction, so that's a couple of extra
                                hours I'd be spending in transit every day).
                                People stick with their cars because the mass
                                transit options are very limited in their
                                utility.  I *want* to take public transit, but
                                it just can't get me where I need to go in a
                                reasonable amount of time.  Until it can, I'm
                                stuck with driving.
                                \_ Yeah many are stuck with cars. Vote for
                                   politians that will change the status quo.
                                   There are some places in America where
                                   transit works.
                                   \_ Yeah, about three. Let the free market
                                      decide. So far, most would rather get
                                      22 MPG in a Ford F-150 than get on a
                                      bus with a bunch of weirdos for a
                                      commute that is twice as long but
                                      costs just 25% less.
                                      \_ Exactly. Let the *free* market decide.
                                         As the article above pointed out, the
                                         problem now is that the market is
                                         not a free market.  So all the
                                         proposals about stopping mandatory tax
                                         from subsidizing gasoline and roads is
                                         to, in other words, make the market a
                                         free market again.
                                         \_ As long as we stop subsidizing
                                            rail and other public transit,
                                            sure.

7/9     http://infoproc.blogspot.com/2012/07/nice-guys-finish-last.html
        A study at the Berkeley Marina intersection shows that people
        with nice asshole-cars break the law more frequently.
        \_ Alpha animals.
            \_ sense of entitlement coupled with willingness to pay fines.
               One of the better Freakonomics chapters was about a study
               done by an "honor system" vendor.  Exec floors = more stealing
               (who'd a thunk?).  Though from a less negative POV, risk
               philic individuals, that is to say less timid individuals
               are on average more successful. -phuqm
               \_ Who'd a "noun: a dull hollow sound?"
                  think-thought-thought is such a basic English,
                  ***I'd have (I would've) [I'd've wouldn't work]
                  thought*** that even a native U.S. born American
                  wouldn't screw it up, let alone someone who learned
                  English as their second+ language.
                  \_ English is a living language.  It changes.  Here's an
                     article on this very usage from some people who publish
                     dictionaries that dates it back to the 1940s or 1950s:
                     http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/whod-a-thunk-it
                     Also, you're a jackass.
                     \_ no, YOU'RE a jackass. Do you drive a nice car?
                        \_ I drove yermom last night.
                  \_  Moron, each of the strings in the parenthetical is
                      wrong; yes, and intentionally so.  If you goggle the
                      PHRASE "who'd a thunk" you will get OVER a million hits
                      as you will for "who'da thunk" it being a sentiment
                      having originated prior to the internet with the
                      intentional incorrectness serving to highlight the
                      POINT that the finding is not surprising (to anyone
                      with two brain cells to rub together*).  Jeesh, I
                      hope your extraordinarily low levels of perspicacity
                      are not representative of your entire generation.
                      (* and yes, before you break into a biology lecture,
                       that is not meant to be strictly correct either.)
                        Dumbass.   -phuqm

7/9     "NY man nears 3 millionth mile in beloved '66 Volvo"
        http://www.csua.org/u/wy5 (news.yahoo.com)
        I thought I read some news back than which said Volvo company bought
        back his car at the 2M mark and gave him a new one instead.

6/30    Cities are better.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/28/nation/la-na-census-cities-20120628

6/6     "Massachusetts Teen Aaron Deveau Found Guilty in Landmark Texting
        Driving Case"  http://www.csua.org/u/wo4 (gma.yahoo.com)
        YES!!!
        \_ Why does this make you happy?
           \_ Because I've seen too many texting drivers on the streets and
              freeways myself.  -- OP
              \_ Do you think that this punishment will deter texters? I
                 hate them too, I just doubt that throwing a few people
                 hate them too, I just doubt that throwing a someone
                 in jail for a few years will make any difference in
                 people's idiotic behavior.
                 \_ Agreed: we should institute a bounty system instead.
                    Take (from the passenger seat) incriminating pics of a
                    driver texting; get the driver ticketd; get paid.
                 \_ The other apparent solution hasn't worked either:
                    "No elegant technical fixes for distracted driving"
                    http://www.csua.org/u/www (news.yahoo.com)  -- OP
        \_ YES #2!!!
           \_ Why does this senseless slaughter make you happy?

6/4     Rising sea level hits home.  SF Ocean Beach is going.
        http://news.yahoo.com/stay-towns-eyeing-retreat-sea-192136116.html
        \_ Smart. This is not a problem in Asia as living by
           the water is actually not as desirable as whities
           make them to be:
           http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/04/51-living-by-the-water
           \_ When I bought my house, I made sure that I was at least 20
              feet above sea level, though I can still see The Bay. -whitey

6/4     Rising sea levels hit home.  SF Ocean Beach is going.
        http://news.yahoo.com/stay-towns-eyeing-retreat-sea-192136116.html

3/8     155mph 24-seat super sports car (and it's not a limo conversion)
        http://www.csua.org/u/vpg (http://www.dailymail.co.uk
        \_ theonion did it first: http://tinyurl.com/38p3uqu

3/5     What's a good place in the south bay for families where you can
        meet other stroller moms and dads? So far people tell me that
        Santa Clara has a bad school district, San Jose is cheap but
        only if you can tolerate the commute, Mountain View Castro is
        better for singles, Los Altos Palo Altos is great if you can
        afford it. Where else is good?
        \_ Cupertino, West San Jose
        \_ Cupertino, West San Jose, Sunnyvale
           \_ Cupertino costs too much.
              \_ Cheaper than Los Altos and Palo Alto.
        \_ Campbell
           \_ Mediocre schools.
              \_ http://campbell.patch.com/articles/campbell-schools-do-well-on-state-api-report
              \_ If you want a good school go private. I would never buy
                 an area for the schools. Ever.
                 \_ Do you have kids?
                    \_ Yes, which is why I have them in private school.  Why
                       would I trust them to a public K-12 school? Public
                       university is another story. The schools in my area
                       are EXCELLENT (as it happens - at least according
                       to API) but still terrible compared to private school.
                       \_ Why wouldn't you "trust them" to a public school?
                          What do you think is going to happen to them there?
                          If money was no object, I might consider private
                          school, but as a Poor Ass Millionaire, I need to
                          save for college. Even Cal costs $200k/per kid
                          and I have two of them.
        \_ The sad truth is people move to the suburbs to isolate themselves
           from other people. You won't find any place where friendly
           neighbors congregate, like a neighborhood street. Everyone
           is locked in their car, whisking their child from soccer practice
           to piano lessons.
           \_ What a load of crap. I live in the suburbs for 10 years now
              and I know my neighbors even blocks over. We get together
              for July 4th, we have a mailing list, and we meet each other
              when out watering lawns or walking dogs/kids. Sorry your
              neighborhood sucks.
              \_ I live in a great friendly urban neighborhood. Good for
                 you that your area is friendly, it is the exception.
                 http://www.hynesdevelopments.com/thoughts/essays/suburban-isolation
                 \_ Your neighborhood is what you make of it. I spent a lot
                    of time walking the neighborhood and knocking on
                    doors. I told people about the mailing list who didn't
                    know about it or else left flyers. People actually
                    like to interact with a little prodding. Most don't
                    move to the suburbs to isolate themselves. It's a
                    by-product.
                    \_ Good thing you don't live in Florida, you would
                       probably get shot. My relatives in Riverside literally
                       don't know one neighbor and they are pretty friendly.
                       I know about half the people on my block in SF
                       and I have lived in my place about the same
                       amount of time as they have. Read some June Jacods
                       sometime, suburbs are isolating on purpose.

1/24    Ferrari station wagon!  0-60mph in 3.7sec.
        http://www.csua.org/u/sep
        \_ this is like vampire shows where vampires walk around during the day

1/10    $100M to add 266 freeway on-ramp metering lights.  That's $376k per
        meter!  I can buy a house with that kind of money.
        http://www.csua.org/u/s9w

8/30    Engine Yard hiring in greater-Chicago area:
        http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/tch/1927473851.html

8/23    "China's nine-day traffic jam stretches 100km"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100823/sc_afp/chinaroadtraffic
        "... the jam between Beijing and Jining city had given birth to a
        mini-economy ..."
        And we think traffic in L.A. is bad.
        \_ Actually those of us who have travelled don't.
        \_ Don't tell suburb lover, he might blow a gasket.
           \_ As opposed to city lover?  Both would blow a gasket.
        \_ Cars are cool. hehe... heheh... heheh
           \_ "Four legs good, two legs bad^Wbetter."

8/4     "China Plans Huge Buses That Can DRIVE OVER Cars (PHOTOS)"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/669166
        WTF!?

7/14    DOT Report: Toyota crash data suggests driver error
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100713/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_recall
        \_ "Moving ahead."

3/26    http://www.csua.org/u/qe1 (blogs.consumerreports.org)
        "Over the last 10 years, he said, Ford has more complaints
        related to unintended acceleration than Toyota does."
        How come Ford didn't have an outbreak like Toyota?

3/9     "Prius with stuck accelerator glides to safe stop"
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_runaway_prius
        "After the car decelerated to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the
        engine and coasted to a halt."  Hmm, then why didn't he turn off the
        engine when the car was going at 94mph?

2/16    Car with stuck accelerator crashes into crowd at Georgia auction:
        http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100217/ap_on_re_us/us_car_crash_auction
        ...... But it's not a Toyota.

2/10    About the Lexus that crashed because of (supposedly) a stuck
        accelerator padel, why didn't the driver simply put the transmission
        in Neutral?  If the cop passenger had time to press at least one
        button to dial 911, wait for the call to be picked up, and had a
        10-second-plus conversation with the operator (which was played back
        in media reports), wasn't there much more than enough time to tell the
        driver to shift to Neural, or simply do it himself even if he's at the
        back seat?
        \_ Yes, explain the concept of neutral to George Weller.
        \_ Parking brake not in reach?
           \_ You don't use the parking brake to put the transmission to
              Neutral.
              Neutral.  -- OP
              \_ I'd use the parking brake if i was trying to stop my car
                 BAMN.
              \_ are you "my house isn't on fire cos i live in an apt" guy?
                 \_ If the foot brake, which uses brakes on all four wheels,
                    wasn't strong enough to stop the car, how would the
                    parking brake, which uses brakes on two wheels, be strong
                    enough to stop it?  OTOH putting the transmission in
                    Neutral would have disengaged the engine from the driving
                    wheels which would have stopped the car from accelerating.
                    It might have blew up the engine, but that shouldn't be
                    a concern at that moment. -- OP
                    \_ There were two solutions:
                       1. Put the car in neutral.
                       2. Turn off the engine.
                       Both of these would have worked, but apparently no
                       one thought of these.
                       \_ Worthy of Darwin Award?
                          \_ What is the award for getting other people killed?
        \_ Actually, all you have to do is mash on the brake, this will stop
           even a muscle car going 100 mph, according to Car and Driver:
           http://tinyurl.com/yckntxs

1/22    "Humans Could Run 40 mph, in Theory"
        http://www.csua.org/u/pyn (news.yahoo.com)
        "The top speed humans could reach may come down to how quickly muscles
        in the body can move."
        If this is true, Bruce Lee would have been one of the top sprinters in
        the world.
        \_ you should see how fast that 50 year old ultra marathon runner
           missing 1/8 of her brain can run
           \_ Huh?
              \_ Diane Van Deren:
                http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/sports/09ultra.html?_r=2&hp

1/21    The brakes on my bicycle lose a lot of braking power when they are wet.
        How come I don't feel the same problem with brakes on my car?  Do car
        brakes sense the braking power and automatically increase the brake
        pressure when there is less power than normal?  Thx.
        \_ Car brakes don't touch the road and the pads are much wider.
        \_ Car brakes don't get wet in the rain. At least not disc brakes.
           Older drum brakes do, but they are pretty rare these days.

1/18    My car needs smog test but I think it may fail. I heard from someone
        that if I fail, I can get a state rebate for repair or something
        like that. Where can I find more info on this?
        \_ smogcheck.ca.gov
        \_ http://www.smogtips.com/test_only_eligible.cfm
           I don't know anything about CAP but from what I heard you can
           get up to $500+$100 repair on emission problems if you fail
           your test. Please let us know what happens!
        \_ There is (was?) also the other option of retiring your car and get
           some cash back after it fails the test.  I don't remember the URL
           though.
           \_ this is also correct. see smogcheck.ca.gov, same program
                there is also a baaqmd program for vehicle buyback

1/15    Hey guys, can you provide recommendations for home loans and
        car insurance? I looked into http://www.marlihomes.com and
        it looks promising. As for insurance, I'm looking at
        http://www.pasoinsurance.com (e.g. "We did the Car insurance
        homework for you. See the results at Paso Auto Insurance").

11/18   http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Office-WM-01-Laptop-Steering/dp/B000IZGIA8/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header
        Possibly the best product ever made second to texting while driving!
        Make sure to check out user uploaded pictures!
        \_ Does Amazon purposely allow pranks?
           \_ but they're real products
        \_ The photos and reviews are great.

11/9    http://infochimps.org/static/gallery/economics/new_car_smell/NewCarSmellPoster-5.pdf
        Why you should buy a 5 year car and sell it after 10 years
        \_ Not every kind of failure can be measured by maintenance cost.
           Complete engine failure is more costly than brake-line leakage, but
           is less likely to kill you.

11/4    I posted the probability question the other day. It was nothing as
        complicated as MTBF or the like. My situation is very similar to
        looking at auto accident rates, asking if the rate of caraccidents
        for any given driver is N%/year, what is the chance that for a
        given day that driver will have a crash? N% or N/365% or something
        else? Thanks again.
        \_ keywords: stats statistics
        \_ http://www.businessinsider.com/answers-to-15-more-google-interview-questions-that-will-make-you-feel-stupid-2009-11#if-the-probability-of-observing-a-car-in-30-minutes-on-a-highway-is-095-what-is-the-probability-of-observing-a-car-in-10-minutes-assuming-constant-default-probability-2
        \_ You'd have to know something about the distribution of car crashes.
           Presumably they're more likely to happen around holidays and such.
           Few real-world situations have flat distributions.  -tom
           \_ Agreed.  However, if you're willing to assume a flat
              distribution, your probability should be (1-N%)^(1/365)
              neglicting leap years.  -- yuen
                \_ That doesn't seem to make intuitive sense. If N=10%
                   then your calculation says there is a 99.97%
                   probability you WILL crash on any given day.
                   \_ Look at the inverse.
                   \_ Oops.  I forgot the "1 -" part. It should be
                      1 - (1-N%)^(1/365).  -- yuen
                      \_ why are you giving away the fish?
                         Teach a man to FISH!!!

10/31   Someone is really desperate about crossing the Bay Bridge:
        http://cbs5.com/local/bay.bridge.chase.2.1283115.html
        \_ Why the hell would anyone want to carjack an American car?
           Of all cars, the Civic is the best. Chop it up and sell
           for parts and you get 3-4X the return. American cars
           have very little value, especially in Japanese Car Loving
           Nation such as the Bay Area. Is the carjacker stupid?
           \_ It may be stupid for a Dodge Nitro.  But for American models like
              the 1984-96 Jeep Cherokee whose body remained identical (except
              wheels and colors) for 13 years, the body and interior parts are
              still pretty tradable.  -- OP
              \_ I didn't know that. In that case, kudos to the
                 car jacker who obviously knows his business.
                 Jack on.

9/20    Why does Toyota like to pair up a new model name with an existing
        model name before using the new model name on its own?  The Supra
        started as the Celica Supra, the Tercel started as the Corolla Tercel,
        and currently there is the Camry Solara.
        \_ Marketing 101. Leverage existing brand names to build new ones.

9/18    "Car company orders inspection after floor mat causes fatal car crash."
        http://www.csua.org/u/p3c (cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com)
        If the brother-in-law was calm enough and had the time to make the 911
        call before the car crashed, why didn't he just tell the driver to
        shift the car to neutral, or simply push the lever himself?

9/4     Why do they even bother saving Mt. Wilson Observatory from the
        fire in Los Angeles? I mean, can they even see stars in the
        fog of smog?
        \_ You're an idiot. Not only does the Observatory have historical
           value, but there is still a lot of research that goes on up
           there including the Solar Observatory, the CHARA Array, and
           the Infrared Spatial Interferometer run by some university
           in Berkeley, California.
        \_ besides, the observatories are pretty much above the Smog. What
           contains and concentrates the smog in LA is the very mountains
           that the observatories are on.

8/5     The Technium. Economics, needs, and physics-- is there an end to
        Moore's Law, or any other laws wrt to storage, bandwidth, megapixels?
        http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2009/07/was_moores_law.php
        \_ Automobile MPGs don't follow Moore's Law.  Oh, the article already
           mentions this.
           \_ Maybe they just have a lower exponential coefficient.  Processor
              speed is like 1.5x per year, disk is like 2x as large per year,
              I've heard ram speed is like 1.25x per year (or something like
              that).  Maybe auto MPG is just like 1.001x per year.
              I saw another post where someone said auto efficiency has only
              gone up 3 mpg in 80 years.  If you take 1.001^80 = 1.0832...
              If we started at 30 mpg 80 years ago, 1.0832 x 30 ~= 32.5.  So
              it could follow Moore's slow Law. ;) -mrauser
              \_ um, you guys TOTALLY missed the whole point of the article.
                 Whatever law exists, exists for artificial reasons. The market,
                 economics, demand, and expectations from shareholders all
                 play a much bigger role than anything else. As for MPG,
                 it's been artificially low in the past few decades for
                 obvious reasons. Go American built SUV!
                 \_ My uncles ex-wife's brother-in-law has a device he
                    inserts into his carburetor that gives him 50MPG on a
                    68 Camaro. He says that it is top secret and that the
                    oil companies own the patent and destroyed all the the
                    copies though, except for the one he smuggled out.
                    \_ What degree does your brother-in-law have? High school?
                       People are stupid.
                       \_ He has a PhD in common sense, which is more than you
                          will ever have.
                    \_ 50 mpg, 200 mpg, 2000,mpg does it matter, you're still
                       using oil, duke.
              \_ Processor speed stopped increasing years ago.  Transistor
                 density continues at 2x / 18 mo.

7/29    I have a 70's road bike I ride to work.  A few months back I replaced
        the rear wheel and tire, then I put a set of old 70's rear baskets
        on it.  The baskets are great in general, with them I don't have to
        wear a backpack and I can carry a lot more.  However, they are heavy.
        Since I put them on 2 months ago I've had 3 flat tires in back,
        compared to 1 in the year previous.  I think the extra weight is wearing
        out the tire faster and causing more flats.  Do I need a tougher
        tire or something?  What can I do?
        \_ For commuting, extra weight shouldn't be a big deal, so use heavy
           tires.  I've been very happy with Specialized Armadillo tires, but
           I'm not sure if they make really thin road bike styles.  Mine is
           700C size.
        \_ Extra weight will cause more flat tires, not because it wears
           them out faster, but because there's more force on the tire when
           you run over glass and thorns.  (That's also why bikes get more
           flat tires on the rear than on the front).  For commuting with
           weight, you probably want to get a fatter tire designed for
           commuting.  If your wheels are 700c, look for a 700x32 or 700x35
           or even 29" slick tire, depending on what will fit in your frame.
           My favorite is the Schwalbe Big Apple 28x2.0", but there are a
           lot of decent commuter tires.
           If you have 27" wheels, as a lot of bikes did in the 70s, your
           selection will be a lot more limited, but you can probably still
           find something better than what you have. -tom
           \_ I have 27" wheels.  I think I have a little more clearance for
              wider tires, but not a huge amount.  Are you saying I could put
              wider tires on the same wheel I have now?
              My local bike shop also has 27" Aramdillos for $45.
              \_ Yes, you can put wider tires on your existing rim, if they'll
                 fit in your frame.  The Armadillos seem pretty good; get the
                 widest size available (if there's a choice)
                 Also, make sure you have enough air in the tire; if your
                 tire is too low, your rim will bottom when you hit potholes,
                 giving you pinch flats.  -tom
                 \_ Hmm.  Googling around I haven't found any 27" tires
                    wider than the 1 1/4" tires I'm currently sporting.
                    \_ Like I said, the selection of 27" tires is pretty
                       limited; these days rims are pretty much not made
                       in that size.  -tom

7/21    Quasi Science Question:
        Is running a high ethanol mix going to mess up my 4 banger?
        Also, why do people hate on the eth?  At $2.11/gal it's kinda
        nice, i didn't notice any pings.  - Des Moines CSUAer.
        \_ 2.11 is what you pay for it (maybe) but it isn't what WE pay
           for it.  What's the subsidy per gallon?  What's the cost
           per mile?  Also, I think the majority of hating is reserved
           for corn ethanol.
           \_ from Iowa, i would have to assume that's corn ethanol
              why the hate on corn? is it just the subsidy?
              \_ Corn is a very inefficient producer of ethanol.  -tom
       \_ assuming that's pure ethanol that works out to about $4.00
          per gasoline gallon equivalent (again not counting subsidies)
        \_ EtOH doesn't have as much energy per unit volume, so you are
           not getting as good a deal as you might think.
        \_ Ethanol also burns hotter than regular gas, just check your
           oil over time, you will experience some decay faster than normal.
           Also, unrelated issue but I will assume you might have a boat:
  http://www.factsaboutethanol.org/2007/11/19/ethanol-and-boat-motors-dont-mix
           (or more likely don't consume an entire tank of gas in 3 days).

6/4     Why do car manufacturers want to close dealerships to save cost?  Are
        dealerships just franchises that are owned by people other than the
        manufacturer?  A franchise losing money isn't losing the manufacturer's
        money, right?
        \_ It is part of Obama's master plan to destroy capitalism and
           make Americans slaves to socialism.
           \_ yeah, shame on him.  capitalism worked so well.  We should of
              abolish SEC and let Wall Street do their things.
        \_ Says the man who knows nothing about how car dealerships work.
           \_ He's obviously asking the question, not making any
              confident assertions.  If you know better, why don't
              you correct him?  As it is, you strike me as acting like
              a dick.