My Solution To WikiLeaks

If I was POTUS, the guy who runs WikiLeaks would be snatched, tried before a military tribunal as a material supporter of terrorists, and then sent to prison.And if I couldn't snatch him, I would cause him to have a tragic accident. Espionage is an act of war, and leaking military documents could actually cost the lives of our soldiers or our allies.  ...

More Volt Math

The comments to my previous post, Some Volt Math, had some very astute observations.  Obviously my little calculation was based on lots of assumptions, and there are many ways to make the economics worse for the Volt. For example, if you add the cost of a 240V home charger, professionally installed, it could add thousands to the cost.  On the other hand, it may be partly offset with tax credits. Sales tax on the difference can be significant,...

"Sponsored Post" WTF?

Over at LeftLane News, I read a glowing review of Toyota safety features.  I wondered why they were basically repeating Toyota's new marketing campaign, until I saw the tag "Sponsored Post". Guys, write your own stuff.  It is bad enough that readers have to wade through banner ads, side panels, and on some sites, popup ads.  If they have to learn to ignore parts of your main feed, they'll get annoyed and start to tune out. I don't...

Some Volt Math

Today's big news is that GM will charge $41,000 MSRP for the Volt. (Question for GM: how will you keep dealers from adding a "market adjustment"?)Assume you can get the $7,500 tax rebate, so your actual price is $35,000, plus applicable local taxes. And suppose that a comparably equipped vehicle of similar size, in a non-hybrid flavor, can be had for $25,000 (a premium compact like a VW Jetta, Volvo C30, or a Subaru Impreza). For $8,500 premium,...

2011 Explorer Reveal

So yesterday was National Explorer Reveal Day.  I won't re-write what you have no doubt already read from many other source.Here is a nice slide show of the reveal in Dearborn, from the Examiner.  Apparently, worried that people would get the idea that the new Explorer is an on-road machine only, Ford constructed a 30 foot high dirt hill (very well groomed) which they used to unveil the new Explorer.   I think the vehicle looks great,...

2011 Ford Explorer Aside

Old Henry was not known as being particularly friendly to the Jews.Today, Ford is showing off a major redesign of one it its signature products, the Explorer.In this video, project manager Julie Levine shows Mark Fields some of the new features of the 2011 Explorer. They're both Jewish.  ...

Ford's Explorer Tease Campaign

Ford is running a teaser campaign on Facebook for its new unibody Explorer.  You can see spy shots here.  I have been following it to see the teasers.  The official reveal will be Monday.  Since they met their goal of 30,000 friends, they will be giving away a new Explorer. I am amazed at all the people who say basically "if it isn't a truck, I don't want it!"  The days of the body on frame, rear wheel drive, V8 powered...

Hurray! BP stops leak!

Finally, BP has been able to stop the oil leak....

One. Bad. Truck. Border Patrol Raptor FTW!

I'm in lust with this, even though I have like no use for it whatsoever in my current suburban lifestyle.  Like the fanboys on the forums say, "FTMFW!!!"...

Spotted: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Out and about today, I spotted a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee pre-production car (manufacturer plate) parked out in public. I didn't have a camera with me so I can't post pics, but I can share some overall impressions.The design is handsome up close, with generally taut body work. This is a much better styled vehicle than most of what Chrysler has released lately--it looks like the excesses of the Sebring/Caliber/Compass are behind us. The interior...

Black Box Video Recorders? No.

Intel is showing off a concept for an Event Data Recorder (EDR) which records in-cabin video as well as vehicle network data and GPS coordinates. (Story here) This is not going to happen any time soon, unless of course Congress passes a law to require it, which they won't.  The privacy advocates won't agree to video recording, and the expense of adding the hardware to the EDR module will be a strong deterrent to automakers, who will also lobby...

Review: Sony KDL-32EX308 LCD TV

I have been using a CRT TV with a DTV decoder box since the digital transition, but finally, I decided to join the world of true HDTV, and decided to shop for a modestly price LCD HDTV. My main requirement: it had to work well with OTA viewing, since I refuse to pay money for TV service.After some digging around, a clear winner came out: the Sony KDL-32EX308. This is a 32" 720p unit which has a...

Ford Teases 2011 Explorer

Ford is dribbling out little bits about the new Exporer, which will be a major redesign (new platform, unibody, FWD/AWD) for the product. This is a neat video which shows some aerodynamic testing in a wind tunnel using a clay styling model. Even though Ford hasn't officially shown the Explorer, the clay model gives a lot away, assuming it is accura...

Fix: Missing DVD Drive Letter On Windows 7 64Bit

I am running Windows 7 64bit on a Dell desktop machine. Mysteriously, my DVD drive disappeared from Windows 7, and going through the hardware manager to re-install it did not work.It turns out that iTunes (effing Apple! "it just works", hah!) puts in an ASPI driver from Gear Software. To get my DVD drive back, I followed the instructions in this Microsoft KB article. It involves going into the registry using Regedit (don't forget to do it "run...

Happy Birthday USA!

There are few countries in the world I can think of that I would rather be a citizen of than the US of A. There are other countries which are great, and powerful, and free. But none of them are such good combination of the three. I get a rush every time I read our founding words. Pure poetry:We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among...