Can you believe this!

[ssr71]

Originally Posted by The Saint

Have you been to China lately, they are building coal fired plants like you have in Georgia at a rate of 100 per year with no pollution equipment what so ever ...

Something I saw on TV a few weeks ago had some interesting facts about China's coal mining industy. People are so disposable (they have a 1.7+ billion population!) that safety practices are essentially non-existant. An average of 21 people PER DAY are killed in Chinas coal mines. And to think, the US granted China a "Most Favored Nation" trading status.

Originally Posted by HarborRide

I thought that ideas like consumer choice and use of creative invention were fundamental parts of the "American Way," but I guess it is not - you should hear the crap I get if I state that I want an alternative fuel automobile!!

You won't get crap from me. I can't wait for fuel cell technology to mature. Electric powered vehicles are the future, and having a fuel cell instead of batteries gives you instant replenishment - whether by hydrogen, alcohol, or gasoline. Want a powerful sports car? simply flow more juice through the motors - the torque from electric motors is unequalled, so you'll have plenty of tire shredding power.

I'm still trying to find out how I can get signed up on GM's "Project Driveway" fuel cell vehicle test program. I live in the metro DC area, but their idea of the "test area" is pretty narrow (litterally a section within the center of the city itself).

http://www.chevrolet.com/fuelcell/

[HarborRide]

For one thing, I believe in the coming fuel shortage. It is happening now, isn't it? The price of fuel down the street is $2.79 today. If fuel was so plentiful and thus cheaply and easily available then we'd still be paying less than a buck for it! Also, a member of my family co-owns property with a member of the Saudi Royal Family, and those folks sure take the threat of lowered fuel reserves and reduced general fuel availability seriously!!

Besides, our fuel shortages are just as likely to be due to something our own government has done to make some other government angry at us.

Yeah, I know all that about the China issues, too. After Ms. What's-her-name finishes with the State of GA, then perhaps she can help efforts to convince our federal government of that threat, since I am of the opinion that no one in Washington seems to get it.

But I am at the moment concerned about what is happening here in Georgia, where we have a state government desperate to show the Feds an effort is being made to clear our air pollution. That effort consists mostly of a requirement that cars pass an emissions test. If the car cannot pass, then owners have to prove they have spend state-specified amounts of $$$$ to try and remedy the failure. Repairing the car to passing standards is not required, but they can sure make you shell out the bucks anyway.

Then some studies show that all that burden placed on us auto owners is possibly just wasted, since our air problem does not appear to mostly be our fault. And the source of the problem is never actually addressed, and the story just goes round and round.

What is really sad about alternative fuel is the story told by my neighbor; he is a retired research scientist. Back in the 70s, as a result of the first fuel shortage, you know the one - it was artificially created by our "friends" in OPEC - he was hired to be part of a research team working to develop alternative fuels and automobiles to use them.

They had actual working models and fuels...then the fuel shortage was deemed over and done, and their project was shut down.

And you should hear the man talk about nuclear power and the laser-targeted fusion experiments that Carter shut down after Three Mile.

To paraphrase Pogo, we have met the enemy, and it appears to me to be our government!!!

[The Saint]

I guess thats what makes both our Country's so great. We get both sides of the story and we get to choose which story we want to believe. In my younger years I tended to be more Liberal and also tended to believe all the doomsday reports of us being wiped out by Nuclear war, then being starved to death because of over use of pesticides, then no gas, then Y2K, then the bird flue now no gas again, so if I seem a little preturbed with all the Bulls*** our media would like us to believe I apologise. But until such time as I go to the pumps and they are dry, I will tend to believe more in the information I get from none main steam sources, such as the oil companies I work for or the generating and manufactoring companies, these Companies are competing in the real world so when a geoligist working for a oil Company tells me that the Known oil reserves in the world are larger now than at any other time in our history I tend to believe them. When a geoligist working for the largest Diamond mine in Canada tells me they are unearthing diamonds by the ton in Northern Canada i tend to believe that type of information over the doom and gloom reports I have listened to for the last 40 years and all have turned out to be false. Which I believe will again turn out to be false again when enough time has elapsed to prove which story is right or wrong. I am not ever going to jump on any bandwagons trumpeted by our media gaints ever again. Scary Sh** sells newspapers not the truth.So until there are palm tree's in my backyard instead of icicles and no gas in my tank because all the oil wells are dry I stand by my conviction that the more nonsence we devour the more they will feed us. Yes you do have expensive gas as do I but shortage of oil in the ground is not happening any time soon, but a shortage of oil being shipped to gas refineries always possible with where most of our oil is coming from.

[HarborRide]

Originally Posted by The Saint

I guess thats what makes both our Country's so great. We get both sides of the story and we get to choose which story we want to believe. In my younger years I tended to be more Liberal and also tended to believe all the doomsday reports of us being wiped out by Nuclear war, then being starved to death because of over use of pesticides, then no gas, then Y2K, then the bird flue now no gas again, so if I seem a little preturbed with all the Bulls*** our media would like us to believe I apologise. But until such time as I go to the pumps and they are dry, I will tend to believe more in the information I get from none main steam sources, such as the oil companies I work for or the generating and manufactoring companies, these Companies are competing in the real world so when a geoligist working for a oil Company tells me that the Known oil reserves in the world are larger now than at any other time in our history I tend to believe them. When a geoligist working for the largest Diamond mine in Canada tells me they are unearthing diamonds by the ton in Northern Canada i tend to believe that type of information over the doom and gloom reports I have listened to for the last 40 years and all have turned out to be false. Which I believe will again turn out to be false again when enough time has elapsed to prove which story is right or wrong. I am not ever going to jump on any bandwagons trumpeted by our media gaints ever again. Scary Sh** sells newspapers not the truth.So until there are palm tree's in my backyard instead of icicles and no gas in my tank because all the oil wells are dry I stand by my conviction that the more nonsence we devour the more they will feed us. Yes you do have expensive gas as do I but shortage of oil in the ground is not happening any time soon, but a shortage of oil being shipped to gas refineries always possible with where most of our oil is coming from.

That's right... it does not take a dearth of oil in the ground to bring us to a full stop. All it takes is being out-bid or out-witted or out-right cheated by 'anyone', and our refineries will be dry.

So, I want alternatives!

And not some ugly econo-box, either! I want my alternatives to look just as cool and drive just as well as my SSR. So the auto manufacturers better get on the move and make something sweet!

[The Saint]

My alternative better rumble, if not I won't ride in it. I will not even ride in an electric golf cart, if it don't make noise it don't belong in a car as far as I am concerned. But I see your point Vikki, I guess I am just to old to teach any new tricks to.

[HarborRide]

Originally Posted by grimmye

This happened in NJ !!
2 Pickups, 1 red & 1 white, are driving along at the speed limit+,red in left lane, white in middle lane. Red observes "WIG_WAGS" (Police noise makers)approaching behind him in left lane so red moves over towartds the shoulder to make room. Upon hitting the shoulder, red's tires hit some gravel and he begins to lose control (evidently no slow down involved) and when he LOOKS UP (where else was he looking) he sees a mile marker sign and swerves back onto the flow of traffic which causes the white pickup to swerve left to avoid red pickup and WHAMO out goes the Gov's SUV driven by a State Trooper. Didn't any of these vehicles have BRAKES, or drivers that can see past their noses. Red pickup driver leaves scene because he says "He didn't know there was an accident" DIDN'T ANY OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE REAR VIEW MIRRORS" They obviously had driver's that don't know how to drive and should NOT BE ON THE ROAD!!!!
Know what according to NJ State Troppers there are no charges against any of the drivers including the GOV who was not wearing a seat belt.
I sure don't want to drive my SSR in Jersey!!!!
grimmye

A news article on the internet tonight says the Gov's SUV may have been doing 91 mph at the time of the accident.

I don't recall reading where the old boy was headed, so perhaps the article did not say...I wonder if he will think it was worth it when he finally wakes up...if he truly wakes up.

91 mph, and he did not even have on a seatbelt!! I'd wonder what he was thinking, but for the fact it is so obvious that he was NOT thinking!!!

[WOW_FCTR]

Originally Posted by HarborRide

A news article on the internet tonight says the Gov's SUV may have been doing 91 mph at the time of the accident.

I don't recall reading where the old boy was headed, so perhaps the article did not say...I wonder if he will think it was worth it when he finally wakes up...if he truly wakes up.

91 mph, and he did not even have on a seatbelt!! I'd wonder what he was thinking, but for the fact it is so obvious that he was NOT thinking!!!

In case any one was thinking that the Governor was driving...

-------------------
The state trooper-driven SUV was in the left lane with its emergency lights flashing when a pickup tried to get out of its way. Instead, it set off a chain reaction that resulted in the crash.

The driver, trooper Robert Rasinski, could be charged if investigators determine the crash were preventable, Superintendent of State Police Col. Rick Fuentes said.
-------------------

not saying anything about right or wrong...just wanted to clarify that.

[HarborRide]

Yes! Thanks for clarifying my earlier comments. The governor was NOT the driver; he apparently was sitting in the front passenger seat.

I caught something on the news today about how happy the governor's family has been with the driving services provided by that trooper, so I doubt the trooper gets a ticket or accident charge.

Of course, if I was the gov, and my personal driver was h-a'ing down the road like that, then I'd fire him and drive the rest of the trip myself!!

[WOW_FCTR]

Originally Posted by HarborRide

Of course, if I was the gov, and my personal driver was h-a'ing down the road like that, then I'd fire him and drive the rest of the trip myself!!

The cops here in Jersey routinely drive 15-20 mph over the speed limit without lights/sirens on. Which means they would be driving 80-85 mph normally on the Garden State Parkway. So adding 6 mph more with lights is not unusual here.

[HarborRide]

Originally Posted by WOW_FCTR

The cops here in Jersey routinely drive 15-20 mph over the speed limit without lights/sirens on. Which means they would be driving 80-85 mph normally on the Garden State Parkway. So adding 6 mph more with lights is not unusual here.

Oh, well, they don't do that around here.

Of course, we often wonder if we even still have state troopers in Georgia, since they are so rarely seen.

And every time another person - usually an innocent person who happened into the wrong place at the wrong time - dies as a result of a high-speed police chase, we hear endless discussion about quitting even that practice.

Fire and enforcement protection issues aside, my thought is that driving at high speeds, on our poorly maintained roads and highways, amongst "untrained" drivers, who often are in questionably maintained autos, is risky. The average joe or jill does not have the skills necessary for high speed driving, and even more concerns might be said about their autos.

(I have always felt this way, but was surprised to hear the same from my friends in auto racing. I am always glad to know my concerns are not merely some irrational fear on my part.)

[WOW_FCTR]

Originally Posted by HarborRide

The average joe or jill does not have the skills necessary for high speed driving, and even more concerns might be said about their autos.

(I have always felt this way, but was surprised to hear the same from my friends in auto racing. I am always glad to know my concerns are not merely some irrational fear on my part.)

I see plenty of econobox cars with multi-colored parts whizzing past me....and I'm always surprised that I don't see them upside down over a guard rail a mile up the road.....

I always thought it would be cool if you and your auto would go for a speed rating driving test. You'd get a RED license plate if you had to drive 10 mph under the speed limit, a WHITE one if you could drive the speed limit and a GREEN one if you could drive 10 mph over the speed limit......or something to that effect

[doogie48084]

Originally Posted by mi mztrz

California is no better San Fransisco just banned the use of plastic (made from recycled milk and soda bottles) bags for stores, They want them to go back to paper (more trees) or now try a new bag made from i belive its corn stalks (that'll be afordable)

Maybe California should make bags from hemp.


SSR71, you made a comment about electric vehicles not having enough torque. Did you know anything about the Tesla?
It is in production in Nevada, and it can do 0-60 in 4 seconds
http://www.teslamotors.com



I for one am all for thw Woodward Dream Cruise. I love that event. I used to cruise Woodward back in the old days with my 55 chevrolet that I bought from my girlfreinds dad for $75.00.
Wish I still had that car.....(how many times have we said that before?