Riding with the window down…

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has come out with a amazing new report. Apparently, when a larger vehicle crashes into a smaller one, the smaller takes more damage. I am so glad I have the lapdog for the auto industry to teach me about the basics of physics.

Yes, the IIHS took the current trendy microcars - Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, and Smart ForTwo and crashed them into larger midsize sedans. Their findings were not at all surprising, but the report was written as if it was a shocking revelation. It read like something out of Fox News teaser - “Are you driving a coffin? Find out at 10!”

The IIHS went further and blamed lower fuel consumption, saying this is why manufacturers are making smaller (more dangerous) cars. They suggest that the plan by the Obama administration making fuel economy vehicle-type-specific instead of fleet-wide will take away the incentive for manufacturers to make smaller, more fuel efficient cars. (And they are probably right)

So what’s my take? Look, I don’t care what kind of car you buy. If you need (or want) a truck - then by all means - do it. If you want fuel economy to save some bucks - more power to you. This is America. What gets me steamed is when these entities spread propaganda under the guise of public safety or information. What’s wrong with telling the truth? Why all the damn spin? Oh yeah - we’re stupid and need you, obviously more intelligent people, to help us make up our minds.

It is time once again for my debate report card.  I have been doing these for some time when an important debate is aired.  The criteria for grading is purely based on my opinion.

Every time a candidate says the right thing (i.e. something I agree with) he gets a check in the “Right” column. Every time something wrong is said, a check in the “Wrong” column. Also, every time there is an attempt to spin or dodge the question, there was a check in the “Spin/Dodge” column.

This debate turned largely on foreign relations and the economy.  If you read some of my recent posts, you would understand that I think these subjects are more sizzle than steak and just a spin move being used by both sides to avoid talking about some of the more important issues that affect us.  If I were grading on the Bell Curve, Obama would pass and McCain would fail, but the prospects for either one winning looks to me like a whole lot of politics as usual.  The lesser of two evils however, is clearly Senator Obama.

Keep in mind that I am as completely independent as they come.  In fact, both of these candidates rated extremely poor when it came to their individual party debates. (see Rep’in the Right and Dem’s the Breaks)

Let’s start with a pet peeve of mine - spin.  This is how the two candidates fared across the entire debate as to their habit of avoiding the question.

45% Spin - John McCain is the king of spin.  Nearly HALF of everything that came out of his mouth in this debate was an attempt to avoid or obfuscate the issue.
27% Spin - Barrack Obama is no stranger to spin.  One third of is much better than McCain’s tally, but still, coming in second place in the Ugliest Pig Contest is nothing to be proud of.

Lets talk simple “right and wrong.”  Here Obama, who performed dismally in the Democratic debates a year ago (see above link) blew away McCain.

56% Correct - Just over half of the time, the things Senator Obama spoke made sense and represented standing up and doing the right thing.
29% Correct - For shame…  if over two-thirds of a person’s yapping is either dead wrong or misdirection, he/she is a poor choice to lead anything.

Some other interesting numbers:

On the subject of Foreign Affairs/Relations in general Obama spanked McCain (62% Obama - 27% McCain)  McCain fell woefully behind Obama with respect to relations with every country covered (Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan) with the exception of Russia.  Both candidates found it easy to say the right thing here.  (63% Obama - 60% McCain)

Both Obama and McCain failed to pull a passing grade on the Economy (combined score of 45%) and the Bailout (combined score of 34%).

Overall, there was a lot of smoke and mirrors.  Only lip service was paid to the major issue of energy independence and renewable sources for the same.  If the bailout is such and big emergency that can be addressed IMMEDIATELY with $700 BILLION, why do both candidates only come up with 10 year plans to address something MORE vital to US security AND the economy - the energy issue, and why do both candidates choose the most “you guys have to be retarded to buy this” of all new energy solutions - clean coal.  That is like saying “dry” water.  If you buy that as a solution - then I guess you deserve the politicians you elect.

The entire debate can be viewed here and if you are interested in getting my complete breakdown in Excel format, just shoot me an email. cdoelle@gmail[dot]com

Now get out there and make informed decisions. Don’t believe me, decide for yourself.

I find it interesting how all the commercial areas of my part of Houston got up and running extremely fast. If it was a place that had something for sale, power was restored right away. After that, it seemed that the “high dollar” parts of town got their power restored. I guess us “po folks” just have to wait for our evil overlords to be kind enough to bestow electricity upon us.

Seriously, I completely understand the prioritization of grocery stores, building supply companies, etc. We need those things to survive and/or begin the rebuilding process. The thing that gets me is how a nail salon or ass whitening company can get their power up before a neighborhood of middle-class homes. (Okay, I can’t verify that any ass-whitening companies got power first - I am not sure if we even have any companies that do that in Houston… I was just trying to come up with a business that wasn’t critical to rebuilding Houston.)

In any event, I am sitting in Panera Bread right now, editing a Lone Star Gridiron bonus show last night and charging the battery on my laptop before heading back to the sweltering heat and sucky yardwork.

According to the Centerpoint Energy website, the zip code where my house in Houston is sitting has 55% outage right now and is not expected to come back up until Monday.  The website has some very useful maps and links if you or someone you know is in an affected area.

Tina Fey’s representation of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin for the premiere of Saturday Night Live’s new season was so freakin’ hilarious. I originally missed it because although I do TiVo new episodes of SNL, all of Houston’s regular programming was preempted by Hurricane Ike reporting. As a result I had both SNL and My Name is Earl recordings with nothing but wet weathermen.

While watching the Comets (who had relocated up to San Marcos due to power outages and curfews) take on the Sacramento Monarchs in San Marcos, one of the WNBA media dudes pulled it up on his computer. Seriously funny stuff, “I can see Russia from my house!”

Later when I couldn’t find it quickly, I decided to just post it here so that it would be easy to relocate.

I have gotten several emails, twitters, etc. from friends around the country wondering how I weathered (pun intended) Hurrican Ike.  A lot of them had no clue that I have relocated from Houston to San Marcos, but some that were well aware of it just heard “hurricane hits Texas” and figured that means we are all hit.  FYI, this is a BIG state.  :)  We haven’t had a drop of rain and the wind only picked up to gusts of maybe 10mph at most.

Now, I am not a meteorologist by any stretch, but it appears that the hot, dry air over Northern and Central Texas is what forced the thing to turn North and Eastward.  The net result here is that last night while Houstonians were witnessing strong winds and driving rain, I was at a football game sitting in a 90 degree press box in Fredericksburg.  Oh yeah, and before the game, we decided to hike up Enchanted Rock since the weather was sooooo beautiful.  (hehe)

(pics from my first visit there in 2004)

I have talked with several of my friends who reported in safely and the only real damage I have heard of at my house in Houston is that several sections of the backyard fence have been knocked down and the power is out in the neighborhood.  I was not surpised at either of those because the power goes out and the fence slats come down with every sprinkle or rainstorm we get.

Did you know that CNN’s Anderson Cooper is the son of “the” Gloria Vanderbilt (socialite, heiress, and jeans maven)?

The silver haired, blue spectacled, slime fighting, man of the people - Marvin Zindler died today of pancreatic cancer. Those who knew him well had nothing but great things to say about the man. Those who watched him on television had a wide range of comments, but nobody could call him a copy cat. Whether chasing down “SLIME in the ice machine” or arguing with the electric company over some 90yr old’s bill, he specialized in consumer protection.

Just days short of his 86th birthday, he was unmistakably original and will certainly be missed.

On the drive to the Podcast Ready offices this moring, I came across no less than four fire engines. They weren’t blowin’ and goin’ just milling around the Heights. I thought nothing of it until talking out front with Russell, Evan, and Donald. It was then that the news choppers started hovering directly overhead. Normally, it would go by unnoticed as choppers in a big city are pretty normal. When they hover directly overhead at about half the height the use for traffic coverage, its pretty hard to talk. When four show up and flit around vying for the good angle, its impossible to talk.

We decided to take a walk and see what was going on. As we rounded the first corner, we saw dozens of emergency vehicles with their lights flashing just a few blocks away. When we reached the scene, another gawker informed me that the foundation had collapsed on the house and someone was trapped.

I really don’t have any more information than that as I don’t watch the news and didn’t see anything on the Chronicle website. I did get a shot of the responders carting the guy off on a stretcher.

Hopefully, the guy was okay and there was nobody else trapped.

EDIT: I found a story on the Chronicle site now. The man pictured was sent to Hermann, and another man escaped - I still think my camera phone shot is better than the one of the Chronicle story. (Mine has a fire truck in the background, their’s has a porta-potty.)

As if the deadliest mass murder in U.S. history wasn’t enough to talk about, the newsies have turned their attention to placing blame. Would tougher Virginia gun laws have prevented the killings? Should the university have notified the students sooner via email? Should someone have put it together in the previous weeks when bomb threats were made? Hogwash.

The blame is SOLELY on the killer. Guns don’t kill… blah blah blah. University officials were supposed to assume that something that had never happened before in history, was about to happen? Poppycock.

The “media” (I put it in quotes because they are really no longer the media… they are old media) has it wrong once again. How did you first hear about the horrible events? I heard it from Twitter before I saw it on any screens.

Think about the images splashed all over the ‘net and television… most of them are from individuals with cell phones, webcams, etc. Mainstream media didn’t give us any new information, they just swooped in, set up their shots, and started to “shape” the story into either “who is to blame” or “a sad story of loss.” Then, they added 3D graphics (MASSACRE at Va. Tech, HORROR on Campus, Virginia TERROR), dramatic music, and well-rehearsed “emotion.”

Forget a blogging code of conduct… how about a media CoC?