Reminded [yet again] of why I travel the extra mile…

… To shop at the [more] ‘affluent’ grocers.

Project Veg-Out

With the electric car gone and a new plan in place, I begin the undertaking of converting a diesel rabbit to run on WVO and biodiesel.

A dissapointment in education

For the past year I have been taking part in some ‘higher education’ and working towards a second major, this time at a local community college. To my dismay, and as just annouced tonight for a second time, the college has a hard time drawing attendance for a number of its mechanical / archetectual engineering courses. Two out of three of the courses I have attended have been in jeapordy of disbanding after the first few sessions due to attendance being too low.

So a sad yet happy day for the Electric Car…

I broke down and decided to sell the EV. I didn’t have $1500 to spend in new batteries, plus whatever else it may need and figured the cash from the sale would be better spent paying off the couple hundred I have on my credit card, plus finishing preparing for my garden for the upcoming year, plus set aside some money for my bathroom renovation, and still have a grand to toss in the bank.
It’s a sad day indeed but it was just a project that is too grand to tackle and I figure it could better serve someone with the time and money to get it back on the road than sitting in my garage as an ornament, taking up space.
On the bright side, I’m acquiring a beat and broken diesel rabbit to attempt a veggie car build. Mechanics come to me much easier than electrical.

So long to the Solectria Force, I’ll drink a beer on you Hello mr. Rabbit, now my 82 1.7 gasser will have a playmate.

In ‘Eat Local’ Movement, Cuba Is Years Ahead

So I saw this article and it immediately struck my interest. Cuba, being somewhat “shut-off” from the world and ’shunned’ by the US for so long has always intrigued me as to how they have become very self-sufficient even in the midst of developing global economies. What has always been of interest to me is their food policy and supply and their energy policy and supply.
Given that Laurie from All-Star Market and I are looking to start a local non-profit to increase the presence of urban farming and cultivation of public lands, this article has an increased importance.
With Richmond having so much ‘green space’ compared to other cities, it will be interesting to see if Richmond in the near or distant future will embrace urban cultivation as a means to reduce (even by small amount) its dependency on transported and imported foodstuffs.
Spring is just around the corner

Dear Republicans…

Thank you. I’m proud of you, really am. I appreciate you blocking the bailout bid this time around. Who knows if it may re-appear and get approved later on down the line but for now; Ya done good.

This is what got me though:
negotiators worked late into Thursday evening to broker a deal, but deadlocked over Republican demands for steep cuts in pay and benefits by the United Automobile Workers union in 2009.

So greed and a stubborn will have now essentially in the doomsday scenerio you painted, cost you and your employees / union workers their jobs… Congrats UAW, congrats.

Greenhouse Gas Suits Obstacle To Fed Aid – Auto Bailout

Auto Cos. Greenhouse Gas Suits Obstacle To Fed Aid Say Dems

December 05, 2008: 01:14 PM EST

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. auto makers’ attempts to sue several states to block laws bringing forward stricter greenhouse gas emission limits is a significant obstacle among some Democratic lawmakers to providing the companies with emergency financial aid, House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D- Mass., said Friday.

An old company-wide email from someone who doesn’t know how to keep political cheapshots and banter out of the office.

“Everyone should take time to remember on June 6, 1944 Brave men and women were representing God and Country for our Freedom at Normandy. Don’t let “CHANGE” for the sake of change in November, Degrade that Sacrifice…”

 

Just found that email which was written over the summer, in my in-box. Makes me giggle. It is upsetting though that people feel the need to push their political views through company-wide emails, this was not the first, I’m sure it won’t be the last.

*shrugs* oh well, *delete*, moving on

 

Guerilla Gardening

http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

This blog began as a record of my illicit cultivation around London. It is now a growing arsenal for anyone interested in the war against the neglect of public space and has become a meeting place for guerilla gardeners around the world.

Well after posting a link and thread on the WHYS ‘after the show’ blog/forum and Pink touching on it again under the Urban Growers article I posted, I decided to post it on its own page.

I saw this short bit on Guerilla Gardening (I think on Planet Green, not entierly sure though) at some random time in the morning awhile back and it instantly had me interested. Fortunately though, public space around Richmond, is somewhat well kept and the amount of ‘green space’ seems to be much greater than that of London, DC, New York, etc. The need for GG around here seems a bit less than in other cities except for neglect of private property. There are TONS of lots around the city and its suburbs which are vacant or have been abandoned for years and serve as shelter for illicit activity, help to create unsafe neighborhoods, and attribute to an eyesore which has plagued the Richmond area over the past few decades. As noted in my response to Pink, there are plenty of plans and laws in place requiring land owners in the city of Richmond to keep their properties in a certain order, though it seems these laws are rarely enforced (unless maybe in cases of public outcry?). Of course the land in question being privately owned, is on the other end of the spectrum from the previously mentioned GG statement detailing the war on neglect of ‘public’ space.

In any case, have a look at the link above, share your thoughts, stories, ideas, etc.

US Army to buy electric cars

Army to buy electric cars

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/army_electric_cars_112408w/