Defeating the "Green" Purpose

I read somewhere that the average speed of passenger vehicles driving during times with no congestion is around 75 mph in California. And residents of the "Golden State" are still complaining about fuel prices?

If drivers started driving 55 mph, they could reduce fuel consumption and the impact it has on their bank accounts. As much as this information is pertinent - Sammy Hagar predicted it - they can't drive 55.

I found myself behind a fuel tanker on Interstate 680 last week, and I admit I was moving too slow. But I tailgated tanker trucks the entire way to my folks' house and found my gas tank happy and more full than usual.

While gliding along in the slow lane, I noticed a strange phenomenon. Toyota Prius drivers were having trouble staying out of the fast lane. It wasn't because some had the diamond-lane OK, by way of clean-air vehicle passes, but instead their drivers couldn't keep the accelerator pedals off of the floor.

Hybrid owners beware: Just because you have one, doesn't mean you are saving the environment. So, you folks who drive 90 mph on the freeway in your "green" vehicles, you're not helping the environment at all. In fact, you might as well be flipping the bird to the leader of global warming awareness, Al Gore.

By driving your hybrid car that fast, you are defeating the purpose of having one in the first place. The fuel efficiency of a hybrid comes from using the electric motor, which only is used in times of limited power demand. Since the Prius has the aerodynamic qualities of a wedge of cheese, on the freeway it is always in demand for power that is supplied by the gas engine. So driving above the speed limit makes hybrid users just as guilty of polluting the atmosphere as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Hummer.

It might be trendy for people to appear environmentally friendly, but if you bought a Prius for its looks, you might want to lay off the greenhouse gases. But automakers are starting to change the way consumers think about "green" vehicles.

The electric car company Tesla Motors produces an electric sports car capable of reaching 60 mph from 0 in 3.9 seconds, with thoughts of making a faster model. Dodge has dropped the production and development of future Dodge Vipers and has replaced it with the EV, a two-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sports car. The only problem with these zero-emissions vehicles is that you would have to spend around $100,000 to "do your part" in saving the environment.

The upshot to dropping the down payment on a house is that you won't have to buy gas for your car again. With that money, you could send your kid to engineering school and have her become the genius who invents the saltwater-powered car.

Electric and hybrid cars are not the solution to global warming, and maybe that is why I see most of these hybrids exceeding the speed limit.

But if there is any hope for solving the problems with the world's dependence on oil and fulfilling Al Gore's prophecies, then we should start looking at our driving habits.

If things keep going the way they are with global warming, I am going to start saving up for a solar-powered houseboat.

Column for November 25, 2008. It is my material. © 2008

Five Digits of Freedom: Finally Getting A ZIP Code

Column for November 18, 2008. I know this is a lazy excuse for a blog post, but it is my material. © 2008

Those yuppie hipsters in Beverly Hills just revitalized the hit teen drama "90210" and I couldn't be less interested. Bringing back the historic ZIP code proves that people often don't think about the five-digit region they live in, unless it is famous.

Tommy Tutone immortalized the unforgettable phone number in the song "Jenny." I apologize if you start belting out 867-5309 at your dinner table this evening. But unless your city is famous, most people across the country don't know where you are. You could argue that California, from Oakland to Sactown, the Bay Area and back down, became famous in Tupac Shakur's "California Love."

Unless you're constantly standing in lines at the post office, you may be unaware of your local ZIP code, let alone your neighboring town's, but that is not the case for folks in Larose, La. They have been traveling to their neighboring town's post offices to get their mail for four decades, according to an Associated Press article.

According to that same article, beginning Saturday, "the 7,000 or so who live in the town can start using 70373 and should soon receive letters and packages in their roadside mailboxes for the first time."

This bit of news really made me think about how I take the post office for granted. In the last two and a half years, I have lived in three different ZIP codes, but because of their design, I have received all the mail sent to me and rejoiced when I received my first articles of junk mail.

While there are certain things about the U.S. Postal Service that make people scream, like identity theft and countless amounts of coupon pages, these are things that the citizens of Larose have not had the experience of pulling out of their end-of-driveway boxes.

Now they have the joy of experiencing everything that comes with owning a mailbox. Like having it knocked over by a reversing truck or a disgruntled teenager with a baseball bat. As well as the occasional animal or insect that decides to make its home inside or the possible ridicule from neighbors that dislike your flamboyantly pink piglet mailbox housing.

The children of Larose will now get the chance to try and hide their report cards from their parents. Magazine subscriptions can be read on the day of delivery instead of on the day that you had enough time to go to the post office.

Members of the campus housing community may be sympathetic to Larose's plight because when I lived in Campus Village Building B, I often found myself saying, "But my mailbox is all the way in Joe West."

According to the AP article, "Residents petitioned for years to bring a rural route to the area, but the switch wasn't made until a recent survey showed widespread support, said Daisy Comeaux, spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service."

If only the survey would have been conducted 40 years beforehand …

So, congratulations, citizens of Larose, you no longer have to go to the neighboring town to get your mail. Now you have entered into a world of global identity that includes possible anthrax letters and Victoria's Secret catalogs.

I Just Don't Understand Tarantino

Like my previous blogs have mentioned, I have to catch up on my blogging, so I am going to catch up with number three on my list.

3. I watched "Reservoir Dogs" over the weekend and I will give you my review. Mainly how I don't fully understand Quentin Tarantino.

This excessively bloody, vulgar and violent movie is what Quentin Tarantino was looking for when he directed the film. It continues his successful line of movies that make audience laugh, cringe and scratch their heads.

The laughing is induced from the hilarity of some of the over-the-top gore and contrasting situations the characters are placed in. The cringing comes from an abundance of grotesque violence that is visually and audibly terrifying. The sheer amount of blood involved could make blood banks happy for years.

But the third point, the point I just don't get in Tarantino's masterful design is the cut-and-paste format that he uses for the majority of the film. To me it is a distraction from the forward progression of the plot. Some people love it, some people hate it.

I am split. I like the idea of doing the puzzle piece movie style because it makes the viewer try to put everything together, much like a jigsaw puzzle, but you try to put it together before the movie puts it all together for you.

On the other hand, I don't like it because the movie is going to solve it for us anyway. I have seen plenty of good movies that have forward progression and hit on the plot twisting tales in real time, or through flashbacks. You might know this as the "Oh factor." The point in the movie where you go, "Ohhhh, I get it now!"

As for the movie review, I liked it enough not to turn it off ... the second time. I began the movie and felt it took too long to get moving. Also I felt that poor Mr. Orange has the unfortunate roll of bleeding to death the entire film. Two hours of barely moving and profusely bleeding from the stomach must have been an awkward script to read and accept. "Yes, I want that role!"

The movie has an amazing cast, minus Tarantino casting himself like usual. The cast of Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel do a great job of filling Tarantino's expectations, but frankly, I think they were a little too low. This movie could have been a classic bank-robbery-gone-wrong movie, but instead is just another decent rental for a slow, lonely Friday night.

I can see a lot of people disagreeing with what I have written because, like I said, you either love him or you hate him. So, I guess I hate him. Drum roll please...

Verdict: (3 of 5 stars) - Pictures and stars to come, when I get to my desktop.

You're Either Blind or Retarded

Like my previous blog posts, I have to catch up on my blogging, so I am going to catch up with number two on my list.

2. Why are all new cars getting xenon and halogen headlight bulbs? And why does almost everyone use their high beams more than their normal driving lights?

An open-ended letter to drivers everywhere,

Ahem. I am talking to you the annoying driver. Yes you! The one who uses their high beams all the time. Yes you, the person who spent money on brighter headlamps but still can't see without your high beams. There are only a few explanations I can think of, and I will shoot down your excuses. Here we go.

You may argue that when no one is around, you use them to be extra cautious, hoping to see that animal or unsuspecting bend. Well, tough.

Every person has to drive at night with the possibility of hitting some form of wildlife or not judging a turn correctly. But that is why speed limits are created. They are designed so that in case of an emergency (like a deer running n the road) you have ample distance and braking ability to stop in time. Besides, when you use high beams, you always forget to turn them off when approaching another on-coming car.

Another argument that is common is older drivers who complain about their poor eye sight. No offense, but if you are over the age of 60 and wear glasses, there is a good chance you shouldn't be driving when it gets dark out. If a driver is having trouble with vision while driving, then just turn around and go home.

I have also heard the argument that in bad weather it is OK to use high beams. This couldn't be farther from the truth. In rain and fog it is a terrible idea to use your high beams. In most cases you will be making the situation worse for other drivers. In fog, all high beams do is brighten the condensed moisture in the air. The higher amount of light at an elevated level with the more dense particles that are picked up by the light create a wall of glare that reduces visibility.

Basically it is a bad idea to keep selling cars with high intensity light bulbs. The people that have the money to buy the more powerful bulbs are the ones that use their high beams too often and who do not turn them off.

For the sake of other car drivers everywhere. Learn how to drive with your running lights only.

A Night of Politics, A Week of Hell

Like I mentioned, I have to catch up on my blogging, so I am going to Catch up with number one on my list.

1. The election review, where I was, what I was doing and why the election has ruined my social and blogging life.

Obama Wins!

So I spent my entire election night furiously reading stories for the paper the following day. Around me, fellow editors and writers huddled around the TV, watching the poll results file in and CNN projecting the outcomes of states.

My colleagues and I spent the entire week creating a voter's guide, informing students of the propositions that were available in the Santa Clara County, and it drained us.


Some of the staff writers managed to keep us entertained through the entire ordeal, live blogging the election coverage and adding their own tidbits of humor. The occasional photo of the presidential candidates in funny or awkward situations. The good stuff always arises during humor.

The infamous moment that will live on in Daily humor came with CNN's use of a hologram of Will.I.Am. CNN thought it would be smart to have a hip-hop artist give his views of the idea of an African American being elected President.

I think that was why they had him on, but I don't remember because everyone was laughing too hard. Mainly at the fact that one of the live bloggers posted a picture of R2-D2 from "Star Wars" projecting Princess Leia's message to Obi-Won Kenobi.

But after the elections were over, most of the Daily staff was excited and happy it was over, because the majority of us were up until the early hours of the morning each day, providing the campus with political information. It was debatable if they cared or not.

A Look at the Blogs to Come

I have been really busy since the election, so here are the blogs sitting in my draft box, or are being worked on for the upcoming week. Just a warning, I will not have much time to work on things for the next few days so, don't expect to see anything new until as early as Friday.

1. The election review, where I was, what I was doing and why the election has ruined my social and blogging life.

2. Why are all new cars getting xenon and halogen headlight bulbs? And why does everyone use their high beams more than their normal driving-night lights. My prospective.

3. I watched "Reservoir Dogs" over the weekend and I will give you my review. Mainly how I don't fully understand Quentin Tarantino.

4. And I am working on a column for two Tuesdays from now, since I don't have one this week because of Veteran's Day. I might give you a sneak peak, or write something completely different. Check in to find out.

You Voted: So Now What?

Hooray, it is Election Day. Wear that "I voted" sticker with pride. Whoopee. You possibly voted, are planning on voting later today or have decided not to vote. Good, congratulations on participating in the democratic process. But now that the election is soon to be over, what are you going to do?

Will you remove that McCain & Palin sticker from your car's bumper? Will you still be wearing that "Obama for Change" T-shirt in three months? Chances are that you will lose all interest in politics until the next election - that is OK too.

Think about all the fun things that will happen between now and the next time most people in the United States turn out to vote in the 2012 presidential election. You may get the chance to see four more baseball teams make it to the World Series. Possibly even your team, Cubs fans.

By that time, California will have a new governor; well at least we hope - hope for that person not to be an actor/actress. Gavin Newsom may still be the mayor of San Francisco and the heartthrob of middle-aged women everywhere. But at least you can rejoice over the reduction of political junk mail.

But let's think short-term right now. What about in the next three months?

Hello, holidays. There is Thanksgiving, the second of the festive eating occasions, being a little less than one month after most of us swore off eating candy all together. And yet we stuff our faces until we can't manage another bite. At least no one phone banking for a political party will be calling and interrupting the family feuding.

Unfortunately, before you find time to take the election sign posts out of your lawn, Christmas and other December holidays arrive, continuing the tradition of eating food that isn't good for us and overindulging on sweets until we convince ourselves to go on diets.

What do you know? Just in time for New Year's, a time to make promises to yourself that you most likely won't keep, much like the lofty promises of high school presidents … or nationally elected ones, come to think of it. But at least this gives you something to look forward to, something other than election campaigns.

But just because the elections are coming to a close doesn't meant you have to stop being politically active. How about getting involved in local elections or joining campus political organizations? Just because the presidential elections are not around doesn't mean you can't become informed.

You can become informed on anything if you do some initial research - research I hope people did about the propositions on the ballot and the presidential candidates.

Becoming more informed can help with things such as the calorie count of the syrup and marshmallows used on candied yams, the maximum number of light strands you can string together on a Christmas tree and the number of drinks that can be consumed on New Year's before you find Dick Clark attractive.

So find something to get passionate about and stick with it. Just remember that if your political party didn't win this election, say what the Cubs fans have been saying since 1909: "There is always next season."