The TLC Rocks!!!

The NYC TLC - Taxi Limousine Commission (TLC) - revised their new ruling for the change-over to alternate fuel vehicles... They changed the date to 30 September 2008!!!! The new rules state (within about 50 pages)... Bad part of it is that a medallion (the badge on the top of the hood - TLC license) fee will now be $300,000 / car, but the good news is ... ... ...

"Below is a list of the only approved vehicles that may be hacked up as medallion taxicabs AFTER September 30, 2008, the effective date of the TLC’s new rules requiring that vehicles achieve a minimum of 25 mpg (city):

2008-Lexus RX400h-26mpg city

2008-09-Toyota Camry Hybrid-33 mpg city

2008-09-Toyota Prius-48 mpg city

2008-09-Toyota Highlander Hybrid-(4WD)-27 mpg City

2008-09-Saturn Vue Greenline-25 mpg

2008-09-Nissan Altima Hybrid-35mpg city

2008-09-Ford Escape Hybrid-2wd-34mpg city

2008-09-Mercury Mariner Hybrid-awd-29mpg"

That is great. After 30 September 2008, no-one can put a cab into service without it being a hybrid. WITH EXCEPTION for wheelchair access. The old gas-guzzlers will disappear. Many cabbies pushed the TLC to move-up the date so that they can use these new options - since many are independent owner-operators they've been feeling the pinch of the gas prices.

Other good news is that many hybrids will begin to be seen for dirt-cheap money in the next few years with 500,000+ miles on them...

Here are some photos of the only approved cars:

Fuel Prices

A zen-esque moment

http://www.chicken-ball.com/

The Brits have it correct

They haven't thrown out their Constitution. The British courts ruled yesterday that a 'significant international terrorist' deserves the same coverage under their laws as anyone else who is accused of crimes.

Therefore, Mr. Abu Qatada (aka Omar Othman) was released on Bail. Granted it is the most stringent bail ever set by the British court system. It pretty much puts him under house arrest without allowing him to use the internet or any cellular / telephone device except to call his lawyers.

Obama made a statement recently which supports my view. Paraphrasing my view: We have a constitution, we're are having our soldiers die to protect this. The constitution is
"our way of life" and is "our country." If we throw away the values instilled in this document then we might as well strike our colors (bring down our flag and put up a white flag).

If we had stood our ground on the constitution and everything it is about, then the Iraqi war aftermath would have gone so much smoother... The people in that nation would still think of us as liberators (like they did just after the "war")... People wouldn't be fighting against us. The prisons scandles, the lack of repair of infrastructure, and the treatment of prisoners sent to other nations lead people to believe that we are not who we say we are.

They think we're no better than what they had. And to some extent we are not. This becomes the source of new terrorists against us.

Most of this could have been prevented if we held to the rule of law and the constitution. I wonder why Bushie didn't hold to it... That's right, Bush has another opinion about the document -

"Stop thowing the Constitution in my face, it's just a goddammed piece of paper!" (stated Nov 2005)

The fact that his job is to UPHOLD and PROTECT the Constitution and nothing else, he should have immediately been impeached at that moment.

SIDE NOTE:
Oh well, he still hasn't had a BJ in the oval office for which prosecutors define every word - including "the" and "a", then try to catch him in a lie because he didn't have "sexual activities" (as LEGALLY defined by MR. Starr) but did have "sexual activies" as defined by pretty much anyone else... That is why they couldn't get the charges to stick. He didn't do anything wrong.

Judges and prosecutors are allowed to legally define words, if they believe that they can be misunderstood, etc. This was among the few times they changed the meaning from what the general population believe (the word "the" had a different meaning). Then when answering these questions, Clinton answered them correctly as a LAWYER given a legal definition of the words he used.

Protestors Arrested ILLEGALLY at 2nd Inaug.

Judge Ellen Huvelle ruled today that the arrest of 70+ protestors the night of Emperor George II's 2nd Inauguration. The police forced the crowd into an alley and then wouldn't allow them to leave. Because they didn't disperse they arrested them...

During the trial it slipped out that they were told (by the administration) not to allow them to leave and then arrest them anyway.

The protestors were accused of breaking windows and damaging autos; however, the crowd which was arrested was not the crowd which commited these crimes. This now opens DC up to legal actions by these protestors to claim damages.

DC said that they will appeal the decision.

First Arrests in SubPrime Mortgage Issue

Two Bear Stearns executives face charges, along with the arrest of 400 other property market players by the F.B.I.

Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi were both arrested at their houses this morning. Both are charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and many SEC violations.

All I have to say is - ITS ABOUT TIME. The French took out their players within hours - arrested and have already begun the trials of their people. The Swiss have done the same. We're always the slowest moving nation on the planet...

Iowa as of Monday

Here are six select photographs of Iowa from Monday. I've seem many slides from the area and it is horrible - in my opinion much worse than New Orleans... But it isn't getting the press coverage to the level of that event...

Jesus Footprint almost destroyed by Fire

Egypt the "Church of the Virgin Mary in Sakha" was hit by fire on Monday. The damage didn't impact the holy relic. Yes, btw, they are Arabic Christians since LONG before the "great schism" where the Orthodox and the Catholics split.

This is one of the largest Coptic churches in the world. The coptics have never removed any of the "alternative" gospels from their bible. Therefore, Timothy, Mary, Phillip, etc. are all within their teachings.

This is also part of the Ethiopian Church which claims to have the Arc of the Covenant.

Another side note - the true beginning of the crusades was the pope attempting to conquer the Coptic and Orthodox Christians who were a major threat to him.

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster petitioned the Kansas School Board to have their alternate theory of creationism taught in their schools. They decided not to allow such "nonsense" to be taught in their schools - so it is still only the TRUE creationism and evolution which are taught.

SMURFS(tm) Movie Coming

There will be a Smurfs movie soon - just f'n great. I remember these little blue things from back in the day. I think it'll be as good as the transformers thing - a complete bust in my mind. But oh well. You can make up your own minds.

www.bluebuddies.com
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23851452-1702,00.html?from=public_rss

Hyundai Elantra Commercial

Cool views of driving across Australia from Sydney to Perth! A boy going to meet his girlfriend!!!

Video from www.hyundai.com.au

Accident Today - ick

Hey all,

While driving back from Pa, the idiot in front of me slammed on the breaks - we were only driving about 70... I was able to stop, but the people behind me were not... There was no damage to our car, but the others involved are below.

Front car - Lamborghini LM002, 1992

Our Car - Hyundai Elantra, 2008 - only scratches in the back

Next Car - Honda Civic, 2007 - very damaged

Next Car - Lamborghini Reventon, 2009 - Totaled

Next Car - Ford Expendition, 2003 - damaged

The two Lamborghini drivers were Wife (LM002) and Husband (Revent). They opted to tell the cop that they'd pay all damages except for the final car because they started the accident and he was driving 90+ when he hit the civic... The civic wend under my back bumper, but only minor scratches were there - the civic was severly damaged in the front and back!

The husband was a businessman from NYC. He was in the military - special security, and then formed his own business after getting shot for the third time working in NYC. Took 20 years, but he sold the company recently for 400million! They just bought the two Lambo's and a new house in Manhattan!

They're like I'd be - hey, I caused this and have the money - so I'll pay! I'm not going to claim anything to our or they're insurance. I don't see any reason to. The car drove great from 9 miles north of the north B'more B'way to here...

Obama - Edwards = Maybe

The RTE is reporting that Edwards would consider running for VP if asked by Mr. Obama. This would be interesting, but I do no know how I feel about the two running together.

Others on my short-list for VP are:
1) Jim Webb - VA Senator
2) Patty Murphy - WA Senator - voted against Iraq
3) Debbie Stabenow - MI Senator
4) Maxine Waters - CA Representative
5) Al Franken - commedian - strike against him
6) Michael Moore - too controversial
7) Howard Dean - WAAAAAHHHHHHOOOOOOO!
8) Christine Todd Whitman - former NJ Governor (R)
9) Patrick Murphy - PA Representative
10) Jim Jordan - OH Representative (R)

Republicans on the Obama ticket would balance out the former democrat on the McCain ticket.

PSNI helped Bride and Father of the Bride to Wedding

PSNI - Police Services of Northern Ireland is the organization created after the fall of complete occupation in the territory.

PSNI officers found a broken down antique auto on the side of the road. Inside were two people - the Bride and her father. The police took them to the ceremony with full sirens and such to get them there on time - they were stuck on the side of the road for quite some time...

That is great. The NI police finally doing something good after years of the British occupation forces doing nothing positive.

We're all aliens - extra terrestrials!

Genetic information found in a meteorite in Australia maybe a link to the source of life on Earth...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/14/2274877.htm
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23861977-1702,00.html?from=public_rss

Children's Rights TRUMP Religious Beliefs

Finally a country's court issued a ruling against religious nuts... A Canadian judge ruled that Jehovah's Witness parents cannot keep their child from receiving blood transfusions based on relgious objections. The court further stated that could be constituted as being a form of murder.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/15/2275053.htm

Gordon Brown = Abe Lincoln???

Maybe not close, but he does have the same drive to do "whatever is necessary" to ensure that the Union does not break apart.

In Abe's case it was the CSA and USA forming. In his case it is Scotland breaking away from GB. Something I think they should do - they already have their own seperate government and have special articles in the GB constitution anyway.

That would be great to see - the GB breaking into pieces. I wonder if England would then push out Wales - the Queen would have to move back to Wales and stay there with her Welsh guard. They'd have to bring back another lineage for the throne...

HE HE!!!

Holden to start making Green Cars.

Holden, the company which brought the world the Jackeroo (known better as the Mitsubishi Endenvor from recent years and one of their other SUVs in the past)... They also brought the Pontiac G6 and related autos to that company.

They're now back on the cutting edge designing a complete line of green cars - not just hybrids, but also cars that utilize other forms of energy - hydrogen, electricity, etc...

This should bring the company to the forefront of the market in the next coming years - perhaps even bringing the Holden badge to a road near you! Only change will be, if the government has its idea adopted, is that it would have a green background; however, the company suggested putting the Aussie flag in the background.

This is what happens when a government switches hands and the begin to encourage such development and begin to offer assistance to companies to begin this research. PM Rudd (Australia) has also allowed approximetely A$31 billion to the development of this project and to encouraging Toyota to move one of their largest research campuses from Asia to Australia...

Melborne - the CLEAN Detroit!!!

David Hick's conviction Maybe Overturned

David Hick's conviction maybe overturned thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling. Don't know if that is good news or bad news...

BUT at least it will show the world that yes - we do believe in this rule of law and that EVERYONE had the right to a fair trial for what they're accused. Unlike the places where we are "trying to bring democracy." What is the point to these other places if they are seeing the same stuff happening when we capture people and put them thru these "mock" trials. It is identical to the court systems which we are "trying" to "save" them from.

Another LadyBug???

Ms. Clara (photo above) was recently rescued from a high-kill shelter. She looks like a black LadyBug! They were going to put her asleep due to her age... Estimated at 10 or 11. Poor thing! She's so cute.

They DO exist!!! ;)

Uniiiiiicorn!!

Proving yet again that strange things do happen and if people tell stories about such things - either by drawing cave pictures or just word of mouth - it will become the start of legends...

Hyundai Damage

After the idiot stopped quick during the "tornado-like weather" we had recently, as most of you heard, Mari hit the back end of the 1992 Accord in front of her at a light. They stopped quick probably to avoid the traffic cameras.

Well, it doesn't look like much, but thanks to Hyundai being silly and using such things as Metal, High-Carbon Fiber, and other polymers it will cost about $4000 to fix!!! The parts did their job and there was absolutely no damage to the major components of the car.

Hyundai started using these newer materials which started out only being used in the higher end cars (BMW, Porsche, etc.) to make the cars lighter and safer. Two of their issues from the past were solved by using these materials. The issue these materials cause is that when they break, they cost a fortune to replace. Especially when the grill is attached by a clip such that any bump will cause that clip to break off the bumper.

Also one of the carbon-fiber pieces runs the entire length of the front of the car to provide the top support for the lights, grill, and bottom support for the hood.

The lights, the grill, the bumper, and these supporting pieces did protect the radiator, the engine, the transmission, etc... A similar hit on some of the other cars we've had in the past - incuding the Jettas would have resulted in radiator damage and even higher repair costs.

What Gas Companies Dream

Gas companies dreams!

Other Noteable attempts at Impeachment

108th Congress:
H. Res 629 - Impeachment of Donald Rumsfeld

109th Congress:
H. Res 1106 - Impeachement of G.W. Bush (2006-12-08)

107th Congress:
H.R. 23 - Powers of the President of United States (2001-01-03)

Information of these and all other Resultions / Acts / Etc. from the Senate and House of Representatives can be searched and viewed at the Library of Congress Website by clicking on this sentence.

Kucinich - My choice for Attorney General

He introduced 35 Arctiles of Impeachment yesterday!!! Way To Go!!!

Yesterday Against G.W.Bush:
Full Text on the Kucinich Website

Last Year Against Dickey:
Full Text as read in the House of Representatives
Supporting Documents for H.Res 333

Other Related issues (in just the 110th congress):
HR 300 - Restrict the power of Federal Courts
HR 2898 - Establish standards to Impeach Justices and Federal Judges
H. Res 333 - Impeachment of Richard Cheney
H. Res 589 - Impeachment of Alberto Gonzalez
H. Res 799 - Impeachment of Richard Cheney

Again, way to go Kucinich! WAHOO! Finally someone taking steps against this traitorous idiot.

Obama, listen up - Kucinich needs to be on your cabinet!

Today's Gas Prices

When asked why groveland has such high gas prices, oil execs said "why the f$#% not!" and "as goes Groveland, CA so goes the nation."

AND Groveland, CA is "near" Sacramento, CA - so you'd think the state government would do something - Arnie...

New Job for the Looser

Master Planning Specialist with JM Waller at their Army Reserve project. Should be alright - it'll pay alot more than the puppy place and should help us pay off that loan for the Richmond house quicker... ;)

This is the company Mari was and has been (on the side) working for out of Burke, VA. I put their old logo much larger because I liked the tree as the "A"... The new one looks too generic.

"Stimulus Check and Mobil-Exxon"

Just before the stimulus checks went out - exxon installed these "deposit economic stimulus check here" slots on their pumps.

Petrol Prices... $5.299 in the USA

As of the closing bell on Wall Street today, the national average for a gallon of gas is $3.99. Oil was trading at $138.83 per barrel.

Who/what sets the price of oil per barrel? OPEC - no, USA - yes.

Supply-demand - ONLY if you are living in a different dimension. Although this does have some effect on the price, it is no longer the true measure of how to set the price of oil.

ENRON - YES - this is how it is done. ENRON figured out how to work the energy markets to make record killings on the electricty trade. Think CA rolling outages when CA was making enough power in-state to power several neighboring states (which they were). Issue was during this time that they were not paying enough. To "teach" them a lesson Ken Lay decided to rape them on the price of a kWh.

This occured because there was very little to no regulation on the power industry at the time. There hasn't been any regulation on the oil trading either - in this country or abroad. Actually oil is traded on the US market. Our nation sets the price. Without regulation, companies like - I don't know - Haliburton and Mobil-Exxon are able to trade the price of a barrel of oil to whatever they want.

Why? By raising the price of oil on the market today - they are able to charge whatever they want at the pump for oil THEY actually bought probably over a year ago... In reality (from inside sources at Exxon-Mobil here in Fairfax and from environmental sources) there is NOWHERE for oil to be places when/if it gets here... To the point where storage facilities are at over 100% capacity.

US refining is at about 16% - according to the President of BP (he further stated they are REQUIRED by the US government to keep it that way). The processed fuel tanks in some areas are acually filled with crude.

(the CA explosion earlier in the 2000's (at the ENRON time) was in a facility which hadn't been turned on in years. A crew activated the facility yearly. During this particular instant they didn't fall all the safety procedures for an unrunning processing facility with tragic consequesnces)...

Highest in the USA today --> Groveland, CA at $5.299

Lowest in the USA today --> Juneau, AK $3.469

Ian's Favourite Car

1966 Sunbeam Tiger
This car is most well know for being the model driven by Maxwell Smart in the original series "Get Smart." It is a great little car with a V8, better handling than a Lotus, and very crash-worthy (for its day and size)...

Sunbeams are made by Rootes Group, Ltd. in England; therefore it was rare to find Left-Hand Drive versions of the car. Although this was the case at first, it is not so much now. Many of these rusted to death in England; however, many have been restored here in the US.

Sunbeam took the Alpine (known as a non-sports coupe) and changed the frame somewhat, added better suspension and used a V8 motor from Ford. However, briefly in 1966 (and why I like it better) they used V8's from Ferrari. It was much lighter and gave more bang! They made the change because Ford could not keep up with their own needs for these V8's at that time and were having manufacturing issues. Good news for an independent company who can run out and get them from someplace else...

Lord Rootes was presented the first Tiger in 1964 and simply loved it. They started making them. In 1966 the Ford motor issue arose, and approx. 33 were made with the Ferrari motors.

Fisker Karma

BEST IDEA EVER. This is a hybrid car. It has solar panels on the roof, can be plugged into a house, can run on Ethanol, NG, or Gas. This car is also a direct competetor with such vehicles as BMW 7 series, Mercedes, Jaguar, and others.

What is it? ... ... ... ... Meet the 2009/2010 Fisker Karma. http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/

What makes it so unique is the Q-Drive system. It is similar to other hybrids, but has two motors for each of the back wheels. Many of the recent hybrids have one motor powering a drive line to the wheels they power. This creates added friction - and friction wastes power and therefore destroys MPG.

I'd like to get one - anyone have $80,000 I can tie up now for a car delivered in 2010?

(The 2009 models have all been sold $120,000 ea. w/ numbered plaque 0001 thru 1,999. 2010's will be numbered 2,000 thru 6,000.)

I just did something I never thought I would ...

I paid $4.12 per gallon for a tank-full of gas because it was the least expensive I could find...

Sucks, eh?

At least it was the first fill up since 29 April! :)

November Elections

With Hillary, I feel that there are only a few options which she will follow:

1) get the nomination - most likely not going to happen but it is the only thing she will accept.

2) fight to and beyond the convention - if she is not nominated at the convention I forsee her doing one of two things: (a) legally challenging it, (b) becoming an independent and running on her own.

All of these options will destroy the democratic party. IF she does the legal battle route there is a very good chance there will be no democratic candidate for November. If she is an independent, then she will split the democratic vote and thusly hand the presidency to the Bush 3rd term - McCain...

She feels it is HER party and SHE can do whatever she wants with it. That is why she cannot accept what each of these groups has to say - unless it is what SHE wants to hear. Is she 2 or in her 60's, I forget... I can just see her stomping around hotel rooms yelling "MINE, MINE, MINE" at the top of her lungs...

While Obama is fighting a battle against McCain for over the past month and not dealing with Clinton; Clinton is still only really fighting to stay in a race which has been over since at LEAST the 6th of May.

"Missing The Puppies, I am" and/or "Dreams Smashed"

LadyBug especially... She really got a paw into my heart!

Although I was only with them for a little over 2 weeks, I miss the City Paws Animal Hospital more than I miss any other job I've ever left in the past... All of the doctors were great and helpful and very willing to teach all that they could... As were all of the other staff - the techs, other assistants, etc... The best part of the job was hugging the puppies. Part of my job was to hold the dogs - pretty much hugging them - while the doctors or others performed the required activities.

I was trained to help with the pharmacy (due to my age and past experience with those Chem Ickals (the ch as in chick)... I was trained on the laboratory to assist with some of the tests, and was also invited to watch some of the surgeries - just to get a sence of what goes on and what gets done... Since they knew I wanted to go back to school for these things... I also helped out with taking xrays - only holding the puppies / kitties while we were taking the images. So they were really willing to let me learn all that I could learn about the job in as quick a time frame as possible given my abilities and their trust in that I can do what they taught me.

Worst part of the job was listening to the poor puppies waking up after surgery and crying. Who ever said that dogs don't feel for others are totally nuts! Healthy dogs would also get upset by the ones who were in pain! :(

I really didn't mind doing laundry, mopping floors, or any of the other "crap" work that went on there. They also said that I cleaned and did things pro-actively at a level that they weren't accostomed to seeing.

Too bad I figured out what I wanted to be when I grow up after I grew up! :( Wish I took time off after high school to sit down and figure out what I really wanted instead of running gung-ho into something just to keep my parents happy...

They all said that they would miss me, and I've received emails since I've left saying that they really do miss me... Argh!