"Laws should be like clothes. They should fit the people they are meant to serve. "
-Clarence Darrow
Some things that don't suck:
Prius getting over 100mpg, I don't mean to brag, but I have been hyping 'A123 Systems' the MIT startup company--which produced a new type of battery that is 1/3 of the weight that takes a fraction of the time to charge--for almost two years now. This past week it was announce that on top of producing the massive battery for the Chevy Volt, they built a product for an offshoot company, Hymotion, which takes the place of your spare tire in the trunk of the Prius and boosts fuel efficiency to over 100mpg! On their website they didn't go through the cost savings associated with dropping $10,000 on an extra battery / they were much more interested in carbon footprint and things that like...but I did. First I figured that I drive, or will at least, about 17,000 miles a year (a little above the nat'l commuter ave of 15k), then there is the current Illinois gas price average of $3.69 (a number probably already outdated), and finally I used the friendly discount rate currently offered by the fed of 2.5%...that said, at the moment one would save about $1,810.80 a year on fuel, which over 5 years you would still be $1,677.02 in the hole in todays dollars (but still save a ton of trips to the gas station). Just for kicks, I found that the break even point (using Excel's Goal Seek function) is gas at $4.41 per gallon...so probably September, j/k I hope. But really the 2012 Department of Transportation estimate is $7 a gallon...so it is worth thinking about--especially since the battery in the trunk takes only 4hrs to charge and costs roughly $0.50 for a full "tank". If you want to play around with some numbers on your own I would be happy to send you my spreadsheet.
Things get done with Dictators, China said the air will be clean for the Olympics....but how, the city is so crowded and dirty--A mix of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide often blankets the city at levels five times higher than World Health Organizations safety standards--so they are shutting down factories in and around Beijing until the close of the games. When China says jump, its people say "how high?" unless of course they are in Tibet, then they say something like "kiss my ass" only in Chinese.
Paper Planes, once this song gets in your head it will never get out, M.I.A. is awesome, there is a sweet dance to the chorus, and this is the theme song to one of the funniest looking upcoming movies of the summer, Pineapple Express. M.I.A. says "Paper Planes" is a response to capitalism and the search for income, and is also a joke about perceptions of immigrants. She may be a political chick, but her dad was a militant revolutionary in Sri Lanka...so I guess that is to be expected....still a sweet song.
Mars bought Wrigley, I am of course talking about the company...not the field unfortunately. But backed up with money from the richest man in the world--Warren Buffet--Mars is now the largest candy company in the world (they also own Starbucks). What does this mean for the Cubs? Nothing--Wrigley sold them back in the 80's to pay taxes...but hey, maybe Buffet is a Cubs fan...
Swimsuit Controversy, Speedo unveiled its new LZR Racer suit earlier this year...and so far 20 world records have fallen under its aid...For about $500 dollars you and a team of experts and possibly some lubrication can squeeze this suit on and reduce drag by 5% more than the 2nd most advanced suit on the market. If you aren't wearing it, you probably cant win--and that is why even though it has been approved for Olympic use there are plenty of people pissed off about the advantage...I say the faster the better, as long as it is not laced with adrenaline and there isn't a propeller they can wear it.
Forked up storage, "functional art" some might call it...others, myself included think it is kind of a creative way to store your silverware....simply install this cool board into your wall and all of your guest will think you have a screw loose...
Being able to hold your breathe for 17 minutes and 4 seconds, David Blaine is insane...and this is the second time I have cited Oprah...but this video is worth seeing...I just tried a similar experiment myself and got a little dizzy / bored at 1:34...congrats Mr Blaine, you beat me today.
Some things that do:
15,000 fake pairs of Nikes seized by police in Oak Forest, the shoes having and estimated value of $750,000 were boxed, labeled, and ready to be distributed to discount stores and flea markets...criminals are getting pretty resourceful.
R Kelly and his love for minors, the big trial kicks off this Friday in Chicago--before forming an opinion either way it is always prudent to get the facts straight...this website provides a brief and sometimes a bit disturbing summary of all ELEVEN allegations against the singer / songwriter...who is illiterate (which explains a lot about his simply songs).
Wheaton Professor fired for keeping his private life private, Kent Gramm, a popular English professor at Wheaton College since 1988 was fired for refusing to cooperate with an administration investigation into the cause of his pending divorce with his wife of 30 years.
There will be blood, not the movie of course...well maybe...anyways, I am talking about the bloodsuckers who decided it would be a great marketing opportunity to start up "Foreclosure Tours". Literally a bus tour of foreclosed property...you pay to get on the bus ($97), you are driven around to see people at a rock bottom moment of their lives AND you can put in your bid right there--because the tours are sponsored by Realtors. Chicago people aren't always nice, and I am sure they will be less then courteous when a two level tour bus pulls up out front of what used to be their home...
Computer keyboards are dirtier than Toilet seats, every couple of years we are hit with a nice disgusting fact about our daily lives, so I guess this was about due...I guess I haven't cleaned my keyboard in the four years I have had this computer...and I am eating Chex Mix right now....crap.
Until Next time,
-Chance Kelch
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