Noodling People, Farm Land, Cool Videos and Thanksgiving

Nood-ling (nōōd’lĭng) n. 1. Fishing for catfish using only bare hands, practiced primarily by crazy people who cannot afford proper fishing gear. 2. The intentional annoyance by bloggers who are skeptical of the news as it’s reported, as in “Noodling bureaucrats is more fun than fishing bare hand for catfish and a lot more surprising.” This is now an end of the month feature.

 

Why People Move – Not Answered

I came across this very cool interactive display from Forbes. The map shows, down to incredible detail, the in- and out-migration from every county in the United States, all based on the most recent census data. CLICK HERE. Click on a few counties, your choice, and try and figure out why anyone would want to move there or for that matter leave. Enjoy.

Recovering Farm Land

There is an old adage that says, “The last crop ever planted, is a house.” Well it seems that recently a lot of land that had been under option, or even outright ownership, by developers is going back to farmland. In an article in the Wall Street Journal (11-14-11), by Robbie Whalen. HERE  Sorry about the nasty subscriber thing but these guys do have to make a living. There is also another interactive series of maps about housing demand and land reversions also at the WSJ. HERE

All the News Ain’t Good

During a time of bad news occasionally it seems like piling on but there was the Chevy Volt catching fire (seems you have to drain the battery after a crash – it might catch fire later) HERE . Then there is the ongoing High Speed Rail debate. They can debate all they want, but like the Super Committee and the budget, the costs will only keep going up, and up, and up. Throwing your hands up and giving in won’t make it free or cheaper. HERE  and SF Gates Politics' Blog.

A Year In New York Video - Must See

Again Aaron Renn (see left column below) has found another great video. While I have not spent a great amount of time in New York City - HERE VIDEO (great story by Andrew Clancy), it’s nice to watch the work of a man that does love NY.

And Lastly if You Love Cities Video

Dominic posted this excellent video on cities (I picked out Chicago, Toronto, LA and a few others), Timelapse- The City Limits. I hope you have a very good screen, you just have to watch it full size. Very cool. 

And what is it about Vimeo and the extraordinary quality of their videos.

And Finally Thanksgiving - A Few Turkeys

Here are two very disturbing videos of that celebrate the holiday; the first reminds me of the old SNL video The Bass-A-Matic. Click HERE if the video doesn't work.

And without a doubt the greatest: “WKRP in Cincinnati: Turkey Drop.” Sadly Fox has decided to shut down any unauthorized version cut from the original and you have to watch the whole show but if you click on the bar to the 18 minute mark its starts – go HERE FOR HULU VIDEO.

Stay Tuned . . . . .

The Electric Dream Car

I have, over the last nine months, challenged the fundamentals of the electric car on one specific issue, its viability in a world of inexpensive gasoline. And now there is one more issue to deal with, the unquestionable silliness of Washington to force feed the car (esp. the American version) down the throats of the American consumer. Patrick Michaels points out, in a Forbes article about the Chevy Volt, its debut is nothing more than a sham and if you and I were to proceed the way GM has, I suggest that we would be sharing a hall with Bernie Madoff.

And yes, gasoline is still inexpensive. Germans pay about $5.60 for a gallon (last month), but a good chunk of it above $4.00 is taxes. They seem to survive.

I have no sympathy for a product that does not meet the needs and expectations of the marketplace. Every year thousands of products, inventions, toys and all sorts of things are designed, manufactured, marketed and then offered to the public. Most fail.

The alleys of the marketing world are littered with great ideas, the Edsel, New Coke, Microsoft’s Zune, Microsoft WebTV, Apple’s Newton, the DeLoren, Sony Betamax, the USFL, Charlie Sheen, and the list goes on.

The Volt, and other such pretentious products, will have to meet the measure of the consumer, and no matter how it’s presented. If it doesn’t, it will and deserves to, fail. Pumping the marketplace with subsidies, tax credits, tax refunds, and free chargers will not prop up a disaster. Sure its price is high, $41,000 sticker (just try and find one at that price), which is $17,500 over the price of a Ford Focus-SFE(40 mpg), that will get you essentially 175,000 free miles for the difference, even with $4.00 gas. And the Volt STILL uses gasoline to push you down the highway. Maybe it should be renamed the Chevy Gas.

My problem is with the use of public funds to support, what is essentially, a United States government owned company (U.S., not the non-capitalized us). There are so many other uses to waste money on, why the rabid focus on just this?

I firmly believe there is an all-electric American car in the urban future, but it has to compete with all the other competitive transportation products, both electric and hybrid, out there and soon coming down your street. The Tesla looks interesting, the Fisker Karma is dramatic, the Nissan Leaf is tailpipeless, and soon there will be others. But even these will get the tax savings – at least for a while. Remember the hybrid’s use of HOV lanes in California, what gov gives – gov takes.

But the future is a little dusty right now. Will there be the power generation needed to help fill the batteries of these little beasties? What is the future of nuclear power? How will these personal transportation devices compete for juice with the giant sucking sound of high-speed rail in the future? I don’t know, and neither does anyone else. I’m just getting a little tired of paying for someone else’s toys.

The Urban Umbilical Cord, Part 3

Once more into the never ending wonder that is the electric car. I posted, about six weeks ago, two blogs about my take on the vehicle and how the public may receive it. I did not and will not deal with the mechanics or even the whole issue of batteries and recharging and what their real impact is, I leave this to the experts. Remember, it is nothing more than a car with a different and yet quite conventional power source; one that has been around longer than the internal combustion engine – the electric motor. (Oh by the way honey, did you plug-in the car last night?).

What I do object to is how federal and state governments are now the financiers and marketers for this form of transportation. Besides being involved with the ownership of GM, governmental agencies dangle freebies to the market in an unabashed effort to prevent their failure.

In an article in the NY Times on Thursday it was laid out simply for all to understand. These incentives include for the Nissan Leaf (due in December): a $7,500 federal tax credit, a $2,500 cash rebate from the state of Tennessee if you live there (in California you will receive a $5,000 tax credit). Also, in many states, they will install, at no cost, a home-charging unit provided by the Energy Department (some provide tax credits for this). By the way you cannot just plug this baby into your toaster outlet – it feeds on 240 volts and it will require you to rewire your garage.

These cars are not cheap, the Leaf starts at $32,780, the Chevy Volt $41,000, and for the racy Tesla Roadster – north of $100,000. These prices are well inline with the gasoline market and I am sure they will be physically worth the price. They will have leather options, cool cup holders, a jack for you iPod, and maybe even a back seat (except for the Tesla). And don’t worry about the noise issue, gas cars are so quiet now they can sneak up and bite you even with their conventional motor.

But why are our governments in the car business? The rationales include saving us from the oil companies, cleaner air, the environment, and jobs. All well and good; I certainly would rather leave the hundreds of billions in dollars we spend for fuel here at home than send it to folks who really do not like us.

The urban environment would benefit. There will still be millions of cars on city streets but they will reduce particulates and carbon dioxide by significant amounts. We will all be happier as we go to jobs in our electric mix-masters while we save the environment.

But what about apartment complexes and condominiums, how in the world will these electrical systems be integrated into this market - an important customer base? Imagine trying to rewire and accommodate these facilities. I can just see the association meetings, who is to be first and who is last. It will not be pretty and it certainly will not be cheap. I guess the gov’ment will just have to help. And what about the work place, who will cover that? (I am beginning to sound like Andy Rooney, one moment while I slap myself.)

For a product to be successful the market has to embrace it. The product must meet demand (real or perceived), be affordable to enough buyers, tease others to follow, and be profitable. The last is the most important. With all this government meddling how can the manufacturer even understand the real market and the profitability of its product? A recent affect of this governmental diddling can be seen in the credits offered to first time homebuyers. The sales dropped through the floor after these “rebates/discounts” were dropped. Homebuilding is one thing – billions in manufacturing plants and jobs is another.

The electric car is a palliative. It is a trophy to be driven, proving the driver’s worth and social concern. It is also a provocateur; it will roil the social and economic structure of the country. Is it for better or worse? This remains to be seen. But to be successful it must be profitable and that is still hidden in the fog.

Stay tuned . . . .