Some how I was disappointed when the first place I reached out would only give me a out-the-door price verbally on the phone, and all that wanted to do was get me in the shop. It’s fine, the verbal estimate was exactly what I expected, it’s a reasonable starting point and I do want to look at the truck up close before I do a deep dive into other trucks. I knew that would be their response – almost accusatory that I dare ask for a price in writing. I do want to get in the dealership, just to see the truck, though honestly I don’t care about the test drive as much as I want to look up and close and decide if it’s really worth my $60,000 or maybe more depending how much the dealers scam me on it. I knew the first few dealer interactions would be tough, but it will get easier as I go along.
I have my doubts. I like big trucks, and I find it to be such a step down to go Toyota Tacoma and I don’t know how I would fit all my crap in it. Maybe there is a lot of stuff I don’t need. And I’m watching gas prices climb, the climate warm, and just the shame associated with owning an enormous SuperDuty truck. I have my doubts about the reliability of such trucks, while I previously thought lifter and transmission issues were more rare, since joining several Godzilla groups my mind has changed, as has my mind about fuel economy – even if most people are towing far heavier loads then I ever would. Maybe I should look at an electric car. And getting rid of some of my camping gear, going more lightweight in the woods.
Increasingly though, I just don’t want a vehicle at all. I like riding my bike everywhere, and when it rains taking the bus. I like my world being a little smaller, getting to know my community better and not traveling so much. I feel like too often my life has become one of escape, spending weekends in the wilderness and not enough time locally, exploring what is close to home. I’ve learned how to survive this winter on the bicycle, overcoming some of hurtles, mental and else-wise.
I often hear from liberals that climate change is an immediately solvable problem, that with modest changes to our live-styles and much higher taxes on the rich, we can address the problem and have a better society for all. It’s a very hopeful message, but also a very unscientific and frankly quite naive message to boot.
If addressing climate change in the serious fashion needed to address the worse impacts on it was an easy, inexpensive to thing to do, it would have been done a long time ago. If we could just immediately switch over to cheaper, more reliable battery electric cars, and meet all our needs by a few solar panels, we’d do it now.
But the truth is switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy is much more technically challenging, and will require changes to our own lifestyles, and maybe a reduction to the human population through an expanded death penalty. It’s going to be amazingly expensive, and difficult on economy. But ignoring the problem is likely to be more expensive.
Most of that technology is getting better, thanks in a big part about government research and incentives that are pushing the market that way. But solutions aren’t cheap, nor easy, or without requiring often significant lifestyle changes. There needs to be an adult conversation, not memes and blaming the other political party for all our woes.
This is why I’ve really had little interest in Green New Deal, because I don’t think it’s serious or workable deal. Maybe it’s a message bill that will eventually get more flush on it’s bones and enacted, but as it is it won’t do much for serious problems we face today.
An account trading under the username "Magamyman" made more than $553,000 placing bets on the prediction market Polymarket that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would be out of power just before an Israeli strike killed him on Saturday. Bet on Anything, Everywhere, All at Once Up First from NPR Bet on Anything, Everywhere, All at Once
The trades drew scrutiny from members of Congress and critics of prediction markets, who say the platforms invite people with access to classified information to profit on lethal military operations. On Polymarket alone, half-a-billion dollars was traded over when exactly U.S. forces would drop bombs on Iran.
It should be good with more sun in evening, even if next Monday the morning will be much darker. With the rain and warmer temperatures expected in coming week, it looks like the Rail Trail will likely mostly free of snow.
I am going to try to ride the rail trail in both ways today, going carefully and not riding too rough. It was pretty well packed down last night, maybe be a few rough sections but nothing too terrible. Then I can avoid both the US 9W and NY 32 merge in the morning and Second Avenue isn’t he evening. Full moon so if I’m running a bit late in the evening. I’ll leave early today. Made a big pan of eggs up with lots of veggies and pinto beans. I needed a change from cornmeal-onion, and banana-carrot pancakes. I haven’t broken out those overpriced grapefruit. Worried about the price of grapefruit while browsing the listings for F-350 trucks, lol.
It’s March and I should schedule a test drive of a SuperDuty or two and get the proposed out the door price. It’s a test drive and getting a number, not a 10 to 15-year long commitment at this point. Maybe I’ll see the truck up close, decide it’s too big and fuelish. I expect gas prices will surge up in the next couple of weeks, which I am sure will give me doubts about getting a 7.3l engine. Honestly, if it’s too expensive to drive, I can leave it parked at home and ride my bike. But I make good money now, and long weekend trips really aren’t that expensive, and it’s unlikely even a big SuperDuty is going to use that much more fuel then my old lifted Silverado did with the 35s. Will gas go up to $5 or $6 a gallon this year? Who knows, but it will suck for Trump. Play sad trombone for the President and his foolish war on Oran… I mean Iran. I do want to make up my mind and get a deal done this month.
I’ll just be glad once spring is here. 🌸 Even just loosing the snow and more daylight in the evenings will be nice, especially when I can ride out to Five Rivers 🐸 after work and read until I don’t know, 7:30 PM when it’s dark and I need to head home. And then I can get the truck, get the cap ordered, 🏕️ move over my camping gear and the solar panel. Wire up all the stuff, get a cellphone booster 📶 and get out to the wilderness both to travel and remote work.
Recurrent's data can help answer this question. Najman, a data scientist, notes a few caveats: It's a fairly small dataset, just because there weren't many EVs built more than a decade ago. And some of the oldest EVs use technology that can't connect to Recurrent's opt-in network.
But based on their community, among EVs that are 10 years old or older, only 8.5% have ever had a battery replacement. More than 90% of them are still on their original battery
Oil prices surged and global stocks skidded after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran sparked fears of a wider conflict across the Middle East.
Oil traders scrambled to assess the extent of the disruption, including whether any traffic could still pass through the vital Strait of Hormuz. Futures for Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, jumped nearly 10%, heading toward $80 a barrel. Natural-gas futures also rallied.
The conflict threatens to upend the global oil market and send shock waves through the world economy. Brent crude has risen in recent weeks amid concerns about a potential strike on Iran
going carefully and not riding too rough. It was pretty well packed down last night, maybe be a few rough sections but nothing too terrible. Then I can avoid both the US 9W and NY 32 merge in the morning and Second Avenue isn’t he evening. Full moon so if I’m running a bit late in the evening. I’ll leave early today. 
Made a big pan of eggs up with lots of veggies and pinto beans. I needed a change from cornmeal-onion, and banana-carrot pancakes. 
I haven’t broken out those overpriced grapefruit. 
Worried about the price of grapefruit while browsing the listings for F-350 trucks, lol. 
It’s a test drive and getting a number, not a 10 to 15-year long commitment at this point. Maybe I’ll see the truck up close, decide it’s too big and fuelish. 
I expect gas prices will surge up in the next couple of weeks, which I am sure will give me doubts about getting a 7.3l engine. 
Honestly, if it’s too expensive to drive, I can leave it parked at home and ride my bike. But I make good money now, and long weekend trips really aren’t that expensive, and it’s unlikely even a big SuperDuty is going to use that much more fuel then my old lifted Silverado did with the 35s. Will gas go up to $5 or $6 a gallon this year? Who knows, but it will suck for Trump. 
Play sad trombone for the President and his foolish war on Oran… I mean Iran. I do want to make up my mind and get a deal done this month.