Geek Habitat

My folks just turned me on to a new reality show (now in its second season) called “Living With Ed” that follows Ed Begley Jr. and his wife and their “green”/energy independence lifestyle, and their energy audits of their fellow Hollywood stars. I haven’t seen the show yet, but I love the concept and think it’s terrific that people are putting their money where their mouths are. It’s one thing for a star or politician to show up to some events in a Toyota Prius or mention s/he drives a Prius; it’s another for them to improve their energy and water usage, etc. by actually “going green”. And have no doubt about it, he is definitely going green — he generates so much power through solar and wind that he actually resells it back to the public utility.

This isn’t a gloat, just an observation–
The downside of owning a hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle? When the gas prices continually rise, it’s especially jarring because you only refuel once a month (if that, depending on your commute), which means the price you last paid, and the price you’re paying today, are often quite far removed from one another.

…when I tell Justin that, based on how people drive around here, I want to get some of that reflective “STAY BACK 200 FEET” tape for the rear liftgate window of my Ford Escape Hybrid, coupled with a so-big-as-to-be-gaudy radioactive symbol. I’m tired of being a poster-child for hybrid drivers locally, and would rather people just stay the hell away from my vehicle when I’m underway!

“No, but those three others just swelled right up!” (Jeff Foxworthy, I think Bill Engvall… I thought that didn’t sound right!)

Yeah, for I think the fourth time since we bought the vehicle, I’ve managed to pick up a nail in a tire on my Ford Escape Hybrid. It has nothing to do with the hybrid, of course, but the irony is I drove my Corolla for 14+ years with ZERO tire punctures (save a hasty meeting with a curb in college.) I’m starting to think that my habit of driving in the “slow”/right-most lane of roadways is putting me in the “debris zone” where my larger (SUV) tires kick stuff into each other. Ah well… just getting tired of constantly changing tires and visiting the shop to patch tires.

I’m a little late in noting this (Hello, infant in the house!) but better-late-than-never:

Our 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid has ticked over its first 10,000 miles. Specifically, as of midday on August 9, 2007, she had logged 10,813 miles on the odometer with a lifetime miles per gallon (LMPG) 32.6 MPG, logged over 28 tanks of gasoline.

That’s not quite the EPA estimate, but I tend not to be as tender-footed a driver as the “hypermiler” breed of hybrid owners. It’s still slightly better fuel economy than I got in my 1992 Toyota Corolla sedan, which was nothing to sneeze at (30 MPG), for its generation of vehicle. And, of course, this is an SUV.

Police: Gore’s son pulled over while driving about 100 mph in a Toyota Prius. (URL fixed, sorry!)

I just had to laugh out loud… busted for drugs and speeding, but at least Gore’s son did it in a PRIUS!

I’m not condoning drug use, but this is just classic. You KNOW you’re in the mainstream when people are committing crimes with your vehicle as their getaway car!