Purple State, USA

Speaking of outer space...

Several of you have reached out to me in the last couple of days inquiring as to the status of this week's blog. I admit that I am a bit behind, but with good reason!

We had a small alien arrive at our house last Wednesday evening and it threw this past week out of its normally predictable pattern! I say alien--it doesn't eat, sleep or communicate like the rest of us--but most (including me!) would refer to her as the cutest 17-day-old baby girl ever. Her unofficial name is Jovi Renee (officially she has no name) and that is all I can share about her at this point. However, I never cease to be impressed at the team of people that can come together in a coordinated effort to help our community's children when they need it most. I believe Jovi has already experienced--at a very young age--why this is one of the best countries to be born into. I am so proud to be part of it.

At any rate, that is my excuse for the absence of a blog post this week. I will be back on schedule next week! Yes, Nick (and others), you are right... It's time to tackle another civil liberties issue!

Limitation of Liability

I came across an article this past week about the NEO program at NASA. NEO is an acronym for Near-Earth Object. Two key things were covered in this article: 1) the program needs more money in order to meet its 2005 mandate of tracking 90% of asteroids large enough to pose a risk; and 2) despite the benefits to the entire world, this is an effort the United States is bankrolling almost 100%.

It seems only fair to acknowledge that if, indeed, the odds turn against humanity and an asteroid does come barreling toward our planet, I will be the first to be grateful--at the very least--for the heads up not to mention if--in the best case scenario--our military can somehow save us or any part of this planet. I do believe we are all, as people, bound by something deeper than the borders and oceans that often divide us.

At the same time, it seems impossible not to consider the other side of the picture. Such as that odds are greater social security will fail, the health care crisis will continue, and our risky debt to other countries will continue to grow as we watch for this potentially time ending asteroid. Before the dreaded asteroid ever arrives, odds are greater tens of thousands of innocent lives will be lost to more terrorist attacks, hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes. As money is poured into a program no one is really certain can prevent the inevitable even if it is detected, scientists are telling us there is evidence that global warming is already destroying our world and security experts are warning against the existing risks associated with our aging energy infrastructure.

You can find the article I reference here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/08/13/nasa.asteroid.detection/index.html

What are your thoughts on the NEO program at NASA? I don't think anyone will argue that our hearts aren't in the right place, but how broad should our shoulders be?

p.s. If you're freaked out by the image in this blog, rest assured that the collision depicted has been ruled out http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news133.html. ;-)

The Problem with Independence.

Independence isn't just a nice catchphrase associated with the United States. It also happens to be the name of the city I live in. Though not well known outside our local area--despite being home to President Truman back in the day--I happen to like this "little" city that I call home. It is rich in history and has made excellent strides at revitalization and at bringing new businesses in during the past couple of decades.

Last week we had an election. A single item on the ballot. At issue was whether or not to increase sales tax by 3/8 cents to pay for some extra police officers and support staff. It ended up not passing.

The final tally had the result split as 40% in favor, 60% opposed, with apx 9500 people voting. What's troubling about this result is that--according to the 2000 census--the population in Independence is 113,288... which leaves one skeptical whether the outcome of the vote had anything to do with the will of the majority of the population. In fact, the only thing it seems to clearly indicate about the majority of Independence is that, at best, they didn't have time and, at worst, they just didn't care. Everyone I have spoken with says they didn't show up because they figured it would pass.

Everyone I have spoken with says they didn't show up because they figured it would pass.

Independence is a great "little" town... but it also has its blighted areas and only recently has it managed to rid itself of its "meth-capital of the country" designation. So my question is, do we know who those 5,500+ who voted "no" last Tuesday are? And, without that knowledge, are we absolutely certain we are wise to let their voices speak in place of our own?

The next night, from one of the less desirable areas in our city, a news channel reported on a park that has a problem with ultimate fighting gangs. The neighbors want it to stop, they complain that the police don't respond quickly enough. I couldn't help but wonder how many of them were at the polls the day before. It seems odds are good none of them bothered to show up. Why do we complain of being powerless when so often we don't even exercise the power we do have? 

Of course, it would be remiss of me not to point out--before any of the rest of you start feeling too smug about yourselves or your cities--that the civic trend in Independence last Tuesday is hardly the exception to the rule on how involved most of us do (or don't) get in our local governments.

Your city or town or county has likely had an election since the one most of us remember so vividly and lined up for so patriotically last November. If you're shocked to hear that, you're probably already in trouble, so do yourself a favor and do some quick research... When was your last election? What was up for a vote? How many in your population were present (xx of xx)? What has to happen before it matters enough that the rest of us start showing up thoughtfully and reliably?

... And I also got a new Jeep.

The rental car company's shuttle driver was entertaining from the moment I stepped aboard his--as he referred to it--chariot. After helping those who needed help with their bags, he cheerfully warned us that the police were out in full force that day so to watch our speed once we received our rental cars. We had all arrived at Dulles from various locations and he ended his warning on speeding by stating in his thick Puerto Rican accent, "Welcome to America, where you're as free as you can afford to be."

That was this past Saturday morning, as I left the airport to rent a car, then drive to a dealership thirty-five minutes away, pick up what I think is the perfect Jeep Rubicon for off-roading and drive it sixteen hours back home. It was lunacy at its finest, but I saw it and fell in love with it... and we all know love can make us do crazy things.

At any rate, I thought the shuttle driver's comment warranted further contemplation, so I filed it and him away as a potential talking point in some future blog. We arrived at the rental car company. And then my whole plan went to hell.

Due to legalities related to my one-way ticket, I was informed that I would not be permitted to rent a car. Apparently there was some fear that I might drive away with their crappy rental car. Logic fails in these situations, which I always find frustrating. For instance, if I was a person so inclined to that sort of behavior, why would having a return ticket make me any less likely to steal the car?

In all fairness, the "manager" was no older than twelve and even if he had been open to listening to my reasoning, there wasn't much he could do to change the company's policy. In the end, it all amounted to me being stuck. There was no taxi that was going to take me to middle-of-nowhere VA without an awful lot of hassle, but that or walking was quickly shaping up to be my only two options.

It was in the midst of tears of frustration (I hate that, it's totally the chick in me ;\) that the shuttle driver got my attention and said he would take me back to the airport. When I got in the shuttle, he promised me that he would help me, because he believes that people who stay positive have positive things happen to them. After a bit more discussion of my situation, he told me that--if it was okay with me--he would take lunch and drive me where I needed to go.

Life has made most of us a bit cynical, and I admit that I am no exception. I wondered at alternate motives, questioned whether it was safe, and pondered whether it was wise. All the prudent things to do in our world today. Despite that, I ultimately accepted. Although when he dropped me off at an Exxon so he could go get his own car, I did contemplate whether or not I should buy a drink in a glass bottle in the event I might need a weapon (I didn't).

This blog would be too long if I tried to go into the entire story, but for the several hours we spent together, I not only enjoyed myself, but found the time very enlightening. It turned out that his motives were genuine. He shared stories about the 2-3 jobs he works, his two grown daughters, as well as his thoughts on life. When we finally parted ways at the dealership (he even stayed through the test drive and paperwork to make sure I didn't end up stranded), I gave him a hug and a handful of money (which he didn't request or expect). In the end, it cost me more than the rental car or even the taxi probably would have... but I gained so much more for his willingness to detour his plan for that particular afternoon of his life.

I will admit that I have had a rough several weeks. Nothing earth-shattering, just a few difficult decisions that when combined kind of start to wear on the soul. Too much time spent on things that don't really matter, not quite enough time for the things that do; the loss of a potential friend; things like that. I was looking forward to the long drive home as an opportunity to re-focus myself.

It turned out Cesar was an unexpected, but perfect way, to start that journey. Life, I choose to believe, gave me a gift when I ran into what I thought was the dead-end of the rental car company's BS policy. As he and I discussed, it's the experiences in life that come to matter more than anything else. And this was a great encounter that, for me, was also a welcome reprieve.

Has anyone else had an experience like this one? Isn't it amazing how fast we all become "just people" when the situation calls for it?

p.s. Cesar... hand to heart, I will never forget it. Thank you.

A Leaf We Can Drive.

I saw in a comment on the Do you know what an E-REV is? blog that someone mentioned Nissan coming out with a car (the Leaf) to compete with the Volt. I received an email yesterday with more information on the vehicle.

It does, indeed, get up to 100 miles per charge, though--unlike the Volt--it is truly an EV. That means that at 100 miles you have to find a place to recharge the battery in order to keep going. If the Volt was a pure EV, given what we know of the expected battery output (see comments to the previous post), it would be able to go about 80 miles on a single charge. So the message on what we can expect lithium ion batteries to deliver seems to be fairly consistent across manufacturers.

Given that, why does the message of 40 vs 100 make GM appear so far behind (again)? Mostly because we, as Americans, have turned into headline readers. We read headlines and repeat those to our friends, family and colleagues, creating our own kind-of-correct version of the truth. In this case, the Volt can't wait for the batteries to be completely depleted before recharging (without interrupting the drive), which is why GM can only tout 40 miles as "all electric." In short, it's not exactly comparing apples to apples.

Advantages vs disadvantages? In the midwest, where there is more "sprawl," I believe that the Volt--and cars like it--will have the advantage. At least until there is a way to plug a car in while working or eating at a restaurant. That might well be the future we are headed for, but it won't happen in the next year, which is why it's hard to believe cars like the Volt and the Prius won't still have a bit of an edge.